
Class_ 

Book , __ 

CopyiigM'N 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSHV 



modern Sunday School Manuals 

Edited by Charles Foster Kent in 
Collaboration with John T. McFarland 



The Graded Sunday School 
in Principle and Practice 

By HENRY H. MEYER 



REVISED EDITION 




NEW YORK: EATON & MAINS 
CINCINNATI : JENNINGS & GRAHAM 



**£ 



,c ; 



Copyright, 1910, 191a, by 

HENRY H. MEYER 



©CU328905 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Introduction v 

PART ONE 
The Graded Sunday School in Principle 

CHAPTER 

I. The Educational Emphasis in the Work of 

the Sunday School 3 

II. The Teacher: Place and Essential Qualifica- 
tions 9 

III. The Pupil: Complex Nature of Consciousness. 18 

IV. The School: Scheme of Organization and 

Grading 25 

V. The Curriculum or Subject-Matter of In- 
struction 38 

VI. The Course of Study — Three Viewpoints ... 52 

PART TWO 

The Graded Sunday School in Its 
Historical Development 

VII. Early Beginnings in the International Field.. 63 

VIII. The International Uniform Lessons 71 

IX. Steps Toward the Graded System 80 

PART THREE 
The Graded Sunday School in Practice 

X. Three University Schools 93 

XI. Other Typical Schools 104 

XII. Denominational and Independent Courses 

and Text-Books 117 



iv Contents 

CHAPTER PAGE 

XIII. The International Graded Course 133 

XIV. Grading the Local School 152 

XV. Supervising the Graded School 163 

XVI. Supervising the Graded School (Continued) . . 173 

XVII. Departmental and Class Organization 185 

XVIII. Special Days and Their Observance in the 

Graded Sunday School 198 

XIX. The Sunday School Library 208 

XX. Professional Preparation and Advancement of 

Teachers 215 

XXI. Standard Courses in Teacher Training 225 

XXII. The School of To-morrow 235 

APPENDICES 

A. Summary by Chapters, with Questions for 

Review 245 

B. Selected Bibliography 261 



INTRODUCTION 

The introduction in 1872 of what has since 
been known as the system of Uniform Lessons 
gave coherency to Sunday-school instruction. It 
is easy now from the side of pedagogy to point 
out many serious defects in this system, but it 
had the merit of being a system intelligently con- 
ceived. System of almost any sort is better than 
chaos; but the Uniform System had some very 
distinct intrinsic excellences and advantages. It 
is not necessary to denounce what we discontinue. 
There were some great battles fought in the past 
with arms which would now be considered very 
crude; and our civilization is greatly indebted 
to the results of those battles. We may well look 
with respect upon weapons with which brave men 
fought and gained epoch-making victories. The 
world's fields were planted and its harvests 
gathered in for many centuries with implements 
at which the modern farmer would smile ; never- 
theless the world was fed with the products of 
the fields so cultivated. Arms and implements 
are important, but the personal factor is the great 
thing. The issue, after all, depends upon the man 
behind the bow or the repeating rifle, the man 
behind the primitive sickle and the present-day 
reaper. If we have better agencies than our 
predecessors let us be thankful but not vain- 
glorious. In adopting new methods in education 
modesty is becoming. It remains to be seen what 



vi Introduction 

we can or will accomplish with our new instru- 
ments. Those who wore the armor which we 
purpose to relegate to museums performed heroic 
deeds in that armor; in buckling on the new 
armor we may not boast as those who are laying 
off the old. We must make proof in larger and 
richer results of the superiority of the new sys- 
tem. 

This does not mean, however, that there should 
be any lack of confidence in the new. When we 
are convinced that a new system is based upon 
truth we may adopt it with full assurance that 
it will work successfully. Truth always works 
successfully, at the first trial as well as ultimately. 
The principle involved in the system of Graded 
Lessons now being introduced, however, is not 
undemonstrated or uncertain. It has been tried 
out through many years in the field of general 
education. It is in full operation in every prop- 
erly organized public school. The public school 
has been the laboratory and experiment station in 
which the principles of the new education have 
been put to the test. These principles may now 
be carried into the Sunday school with entire con- 
fidence. The essential principle on which this 
new system rests is so simple that its statement 
is enough to make its soundness self-evident, 
namely, that the material and the method of pre- 
senting the material of instruction must be de- 
termined by the needs and abilities of the pupil 
in the progressive stages of his development. 
There can hardly be any argument over this 
proposition. It is the simple recognition of the 
fact that in education the pupil must hold the 



Introduction vii 

central place. The child is to be educated ; there- 
fore we must first of all know the child, what his 
needs are, what his capacities and appetencies 
are ; after that it is merely a problem of furnish- 
ing such material as will be most easily assimi- 
lated by his mind and built up into the structure 
of his nature and character. 

It is an entirely vain thing for us to lament that 
this system, which seems so evidently rational, 
was not adopted long ago. We could indulge in 
equally vain lamentations over a thousand other 
good and true things which were not discov- 
ered and adopted centuries ago. Such regret is 
only a quarrel with the law of evolution accord- 
ing to which all progress is made. The millen- 
nium is not at the beginning but at the end of the 
ages, and the ages will run very far into the 
future and the final order is not yet in sight. It 
is doubtful whether this new system in religious 
education could have come any sooner, or that 
it would have been better if it had done so. 
There is a timeliness in events determined by the 
fundamental laws of progress. A new system of 
any kind is always a complex of many factors. 
In this case knowledge had to be extended along 
many lines; more particularly growth of knowl- 
edge was necessary concerning the nature of the 
child and concerning the nature of the Bible, the 
chief source of material for the religious educa- 
tion of the child. Fifty years ago knowledge 
neither concerning the child nor the Bible was 
sufficient to have made possible the introduction 
of a system of graded instruction into the Sun- 
day school. A valid graded curriculum could not 



viii Introduction 

have been formulated much if any sooner. Now 
we see the necessity for it, and at least with some 
degree of certainty we are perceiving what its 
elements and order should be. This volume is 
the first systematic attempt to state the principles 
and aims of the new system in connection with 
at least a partially elaborate series of courses of 
study embodying and illustrating those principles, 
together with practical suggestions for the in- 
troduction of the new plans into the Sunday 
school. The author would not anticipate that his 
book would be in any sense the final word on this 
subject ; rather its service lies in the fact that it is 
the first clearly articulate word on a subject on 
which many words remain to be spoken. 

John T. McFarland. 
New York, April, 1910. 

PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION 

Although the first edition of this little manual 
on the Graded Sunday School was published less 
than a year ago, the rapid progress of actual prac- 
tice in graded Sunday-school instruction has 
made imperative a careful revision of the ma- 
terial presented in chapters XI to XV inclusive. 
It is hoped that by thus bringing the chap- 
ters describing the present-day practice in typi- 
cal progressive schools, as well as the description 
of the leading graded courses of study available, 
strictly up to date, the usefulness of the book may 
be greatly enhanced. Henry H. Meyer. 

New York, March, 191 1. 



PREFACE TO THIRD EDITION 

The purpose of the present revision has been 
to bring this manual on the graded Sunday 
school into closer harmony with the interde- 
nominational plans for teacher-training. By 
eliminating three chapters on child psychology 
from Part One and expanding the material of 
Part Three to cover somewhat more adequately 
the many aspects and problems of Sunday- 
school administration the contents of the volume 
have been made more homogeneous and better 
suited for use as a text-book on the Sunday 
school in the second standard interdenomina- 
tional course for teacher-training. The mat- 
ter dealing with the course of study for a 
graded Sunday school has also been amplified 
by the addition of a chapter dealing with the 
historical, pedagogical, and religious aspects of 
the course and by the revision and expansion 
of the chapter on Denominational and Independ- 
ent Courses of Study. Altogether five new chap- 
ters have been added, as follows: 

Courses of Study — Three Viewpoints. 
Departmental and Class Organization. 
Special Days and Their Observance in the 

Graded Sunday School. 
The Sunday School Library. 
Standard Courses in Teacher-Training. 

Other minor changes have been made and the 
several chapters containing historical material 



x Preface to Third Edition 

brought up to date. It is the hope of the author 
that the book in its revised form will be found 
adapted to class use in teacher-training classes 
and by departments of religious pedagogy in 
theological seminaries. Henry H. Meyer. 

September, 19 12. 



PART ONE 

THE GRADED SUNDAY SCHOOL IN 
PRINCIPLE 



THE EDUCATIONAL EMPHASIS IN THE 
WORK OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 

Religion and education were once more inti- The Religious 
mately related both in theory and practice than Motive in 
they are to-day. In Israel the prophets, the Education 
priests, and the sages administered such popular 
education as existed outside the family circle, 
while the synagogue and the temple courts were 
the two centers from which radiated the educa- 
tional and cultural influences of the nation. The 
motive in Hebrew education was distinctly re- 
ligious. Nor was it otherwise during the early 
Christian centuries among the nations yielding 
to the sway of the new faith. The first schools 
of the Christian era were the catechetical schools 
connected with the local church and conducted 
by the officiating bishop or one of his assistants 
in the ministry. The early church fathers from 
Justin Martyr to Augustine were also the recog- 
nized schoolmasters of their times. During the 
Middle Ages such schools as existed clustered 
about the monasteries, cathedrals, synagogues, 
and village chapels under the direct influence 
and supervision of the clergy, and from the most 
prominent and influential of these monastic and 
cathedral schools there developed in the twelfth 
and thirteenth centuries the educational insti- 
tutions since known as universities. The names 
of Alcuin, Abelard, Thomas Aquinas, Erasmus, 
and Moses Mendelssohn are as familiar to the 
3 



4 The Graded Sunday School 

student of educational history as to the student 
of theology. In the post-Reformation develop- 
ment of church and school we find the same par- 
allel, with this difference, that the school becomes 
gradually more important, though the aim of 
education continues to be for the most part 
distinctly religious, and its control remains di- 
rectly or indirectly in the hands of the church. 
The systematic reorganization of the Jewish sys- 
tem of education in western Europe dates from 
about the beginning of the nineteenth century. 
In the eastern countries of Europe, in Russia, 
Roumania, and Turkey, Jewish education is still 
restricted to religious (Talmudic) study and is 
as yet wholly aloof from general culture. 1 
change in The rise of state and national public-school 

control and systems independent of ecclesiastical control falls 
almost wholly within the past two centuries. 
Even in America the transition in education from 
ecclesiastical to state and municipal control has 
been gradual, while in England and on the 
European continent the process of the seculariza- 
tion of popular education is still far from com- 
pleted. In America the passing of education 
from ecclesiastical to state control has brought 
with it a steady broadening of the course of 
study in both elementary and secondary schools, 
and in colleges and universities, until religious 
instruction, which once constituted the major 
part of all instruction, has been reduced to a min- 
imum or entirely eliminated from the curriculum. 
Among the forces at work to bring about this 
change have been the progress made in the fields 

1 The Jewish Encyclopedia, vol. v, p. 48f. 



Educational Emphasis 5 

of science and invention and the consequent un- 
paralleled industrial development of the country- 
together with the rapid growth of cities. This 
has made the introduction of the sciences and of 
industrial branches into the course of study im- 
perative, while the increase in the national wealth 
and general prosperity has created a demand 
for a larger recognition of art and literature and 
of the cultural studies in general. 

With this broadening of the scope and aim The Place of 
of education and the elimination of its strictly the Sunday 

... . . , . j School in 

religious purpose and elements has come a grad- Modern 
ual specialization of educational effort, until to- Education 
day distinctive types of schools exist for all sorts 
of professional and industrial training. Mean- 
while the Sunday school — in its or igin ^nr\ parly, 
history but one of several institu tions for rh,e; 
secular instruction of the poor and ne glected , 
classes^^ha s almost alone preserved the distinctly 
religious motive which earlier h^d inspired a U 
educational effort. It has gradually become, at 
least in America, the recognized institution for 
specialized elementary instruction in religion and 
morals. At its best the curriculum of the modern 
graded Sunday school compares favorably both 
in scope and content with that of the best ele- 
mentary schools two hundred and fifty years 
ago, with this difference, that the Sunday school 
is no longer under the necessity of teaching the 
elements of reading and writing, being thus left 
free to address itself entirely to the accomplish- 
ment of its specialized religious aim, whereas the 
public elementary school of two centuries and 
a half ago taught reading, writing, and spelling 



6 The Graded Sunday School 

in order that its pupils might be able to read the 
Bible and study the catechism. 
Limitations In comparison with the public elementary 

and school of the present or with other contemporary 

ages } ns tj tu j.} ons offering specialized forms of train- 
ing, the Sunday school is in several respects at 
a great disadvantage. It is denied right of way 
and must content itself with a small fraction of 
the time during which its pupils and teachers are 
free from such other mental and manual labor 
as may constitute their daily task and regular 
employment. Its teachers are for the most part 
untrained, with little or no professional prepara- 
tion for their special work. Its supervising force 
is often deficient and imperfectly organized. It is 
poorly housed and equipped, its needs are seldom 
considered in the annual budget of the church. 
Its discipline is bad. The educational aim of the 
Sunday school is as yet too often ignored, with 
the result that the institution has become in many 
places a juvenile appendage to the church proper, 
in which the appeal is almost wholly to the 
conscience and to the emotions, with little if any 
systematic instruction. Many of these inherent 
disadvantages of the institution as a whole have 
been effectually overcome in individual schools 
in which a right appreciation of the Sunday 
school has led to the introduction of a carefully 
graded course of instruction, 
original It is encouraging to note the recent revival 

Purpose of the educational emphasis in Sunday-school 

instruction. Originally, in the work of Robert 
Raikes, John Wesley, Bishop White (Phila- 
delphia), and their immediate successors both 



Educational 



Educational Emphasis 7 

in England and America, this aim clearly pre- 
dominated. The religious motive back of their 
work was real, and furnished in large measure 
the inspiration for the entire movement from 
the first. But the Sunday school remained a 
school in fact as well as in name during more 
than fifty years from the time of its earliest 
establishment. After that it gradually became Later- 
less educational and more evangelistic in its pur- Evangelistic 
pose and effort. In sparsely settled frontier 
communities and in neglected urban districts 
the Sunday school came to be the usual and 
recognized forerunner of the church, and great 
has been its service in concentrating the religious 
life and influence of the community in church 
fellowship. 

It is no disparagement of the worth of this Educational 
evangelistic emphasis and service of the Sunday Emphasis 
school, however, to insist that the crowding out 
of the more distinctly educational element from 
its program has brought with it a loss both to 
the Sunday school itself and to the church, of 
which it has in the meantime become an integral 
part. Only where this educational interest has 
been safeguarded, where systematic and thorough 
Bible instruction has taken the place once given 
to the teaching of reading, writing, and spelling, 
has the Sunday school in recent years measured 
up to its opportunity and fulfilled its mission. 
Where and in so far as it has, on the other hand, 
become for church members and their children 
a convenient (usually inferior) substitute for 
the regular church service; wherever it has 
opened its doors to questionable forms of emo- 



8 The Graded Sunday School 

tional evangelism wholly foreign to the normal 
religious development of child life; wherever it 
has yielded to the morbid demand for statistics 
and tabulated in bold-faced type the measure of 
its spiritual achievement; wherever it has been 
denied a fair consideration in the annual church 
expenses and been looked upon rather as a con- 
venient auxiliary for the raising of money for 
other benevolent enterprises ; wherever, in short, 
the Sunday school has been diverted from its dis- 
tinctly educational purpose, there it has been, 
at least in recent years, largely a failure. 
Question of It is not meant that systematic and thorough 

Motive and instruction in any sense excludes the religious 
or even the evangelistic emphasis, but rather 
that such instruction is fundamental and abso- 
lutely essential to the accomplishment of the 
highest and best results in the stimulation and 
development of the religious life. It has been 
the task of the best Sunday schools in recent 
years to demonstrate anew the fact that the 
educational emphasis and the deeper religious 
purpose in Sunday-school work are not mutually 
exclusive, but that, on the contrary, each is es- 
sential to the other, the one furnishing the motive 
and the other the best method for its attainment. 



Method 



II 

THE TEACHER: PLACE AND ESSENTIAL 
QUALIFICATIONS 

The three determining factors in religious as Factors in 
in secular education are the teacher, the pupil, and Educational 
the school with its curriculum or course of study. Problem 
The first named of these factors, the teacher, is 
perhaps not the most important of the three, but 
in a manual intended for teachers it offers a con- 
venient starting point for the discussions that 
are to follow. The problem of the school be- 
longs peculiarly to the teacher; and only to the 
extent to which the teacher masters that problem 
in all its phases and bearings is there hope for 
improvement and progress. 

Fundamentally the problem of the teacher is The Teacher's 
the same whether his chosen field of work be Problem 
that of secular or religious education. Every 
teacher is dealing, on the one hand, with truth, 
which he must come to regard, not in the nar- 
rower sense as constituting simply the knowledge 
content of the subject in which he undertakes to 
impart instruction, but in the wider sense of 
reality, of life itself in its totality and in its 
multiple relations and forms of manifestation. 
And the problem of the teacher is by means of 
his chosen subject to lead the pupil out into 
broader fields of thought and to give him an J 
intelligent conception of life as a whole and an 
appreciative attitude toward it. It is to bring 
life and reality into reciprocal relation with the 
9 



lO 



The Graded Sunday School 



Teaching Not 
a Pouring 
Process 



The Process 
of Learning 



mind of the pupil in such a way that truth may 
become his personal possession. 

Many will remember when the method of ac- 
complishing the teacher's task was conceived of 
as being a simple process of pouring. The 
teacher loomed large and high above the pupil, 
like a huge pitcher, the exhaustless reservoir 
of knowledge, while the pupil, conceived of as 
a smaller empty vessel or cup, submitted patiently 
to the process of being filled, sometimes in short 
order and to overflowing. This was the time 
when, after a few brief years spent at academy 
or boarding school, sons and daughters returned 
home the proud possessors of a "finished" edu- 
cation. Fortunately, that time has passed. At 
least we have to-day no such conception of edu- 
cation. We have come rather to regard life as 
a school in which every person, old or young, 
is a pupil and in which the process of acquiring 
knowledge is never completed and, sometimes 
at least, is quite independent of all formal school- 
room instruction. Hence we speak of the grad- 
uating exercises as a '^commencement," that is, 
the beginning of a larger growth in knowledge 
and in the power to achieve. 

The human mind is self-active, and apart from 
its self-activity there can be no acquisition of 
knowledge, no understanding of truth, either 
scientific or religious. The storehouse of truth, 
moreover, is not the instructor, however well 
equipped for his work, nor yet the course of 
study, no matter how well articulated and com- 
plete, but the environment of pupil and teacher 
alike; and the process of learning is a process 



The Teacher : Place and Qualifications 1 1 

of the normal functioning (working) of a self- 
active human mind in the midst of a living, 
throbbing, pulsating environment. 

The teacher can at best hope, in any given Essential 
instance, to facilitate this process. This he will ^ no r led 5 e of 

1111 1 e 1 • the Teacher 

be able to do only m so far as he recognizes 
clearly the two factors with which he has to 
deal. He must know the truth he is attempting 
to teach and understand its purpose and function!-— ~"~~ 
in relation to the life and destiny of the pupil. 
But he must also know intimately the pupils 
who for a time, perhaps during a critical period 
of their development, are dependent upon him 
for wise direction and sympathetic guidance as 
well as for formal instruction. He must know 
both their powers and their limitations and 
wisely shape their educational environment in 
such a way that the growth of body, mind, and 
spirit may proceed normally. 

Educational theory has long laid stress on the The Teacher 
knowledge element of the teacher's problem. ™ ust * now 

»" i i • r * , His Subject 

And as the science of pedagogy has advanced 
we have come more and more to emphasize the 
necessity of a thorough and ever more thorough 
mastery of truth in all of its ramifications. It 
is essential for the teacher to recognize the im- 
portance of knowing not simply the facts which 
he is expected to communicate to his pupils, but 
the significance of these facts historically, so- 
cially, and racially. 

In the field of religious instruction, and more insunday- 
especially in Sunday-school teaching, to-day it ^°°! n 
is not sufficient that the teacher shall simply 
know the lesson narrative a little better than 



12 The Graded Sunday School 

the members of his class, and be able to draw 
from that narrative a few obvious moral teach- 
ings; the teacher must know more. The Bible 
is not a sorcerer's book, the separate verses and 
sentences of which are surcharged with mystical 
import and power, wholly apart from their con- 
text, but a library containing the sacred books 
of the Hebrew people and of the Christian 
Church. Each of the separate books of this 
library, moreover, like Longfellow's Evangeline, 
or the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, has an author 
or authors, known or unknown, a history, a 
peculiar form and purpose, a national character, 
and historical setting. The Bible, considered 
as a text-book of religion, like any text- 
book of science (for example, geography), has 
been of gradual growth. The revelation of di- 
vine truth which it contains is progressive in 
character, and not all of the books of the sacred 
canon are of equal importance or value. This 
indicates at once the scope of the teacher's es- 
sential knowledge and preparation in so far as 
it relates to the Bible, not to mention the many 
branches of correlated knowledge and the ex- 
haustless treasures in art and literature, in his- 
tory and in the sciences which the thoroughly 
equipped religious teacher will have at his com- 
mand. 
The untrained A word of recognition is due here to the host 
Teacher's f busy, faithful teachers who, after a week of 
toil in office, shop, schoolroom, or home, have 
done their best without this fuller preparation. 
Theirs has been a worthy and not unfruitful 
service, prompted as it has been by a sense of 



Service 



of Subject 



The Teacher : Place and Qualifications 1 3 

duty and by love. To an untrained and meagerly 
equipped teaching force the Sunday school of to- 
day is largely indebted for its present strength 
and for such results as it may have achieved. 
Nevertheless to any teacher who has done his 
best there is open a still larger vision and a 
greater task; and it is part of the purpose of 
this manual to set forth that task and to show 
how the introduction of a carefully graded 
course of study into our Sunday schools will aid 
in its accomplishment. 

The introduction of a graded curriculum with Graded 
a limited and definitely prescribed amount of p"" b " Make 
work to be accomplished in each grade will enable Better 
every teacher, even the one with the least time JJjf^J^J" 
for special preparation, to do better work. The 
graded Sunday school implies graded teachers, 
who teach in the same grade and consequently 
cover the same ground year after year. They 
do not move forward with their classes, but teach 
the same subjects and the same general series 
of lessons to a new group of pupils each year. 
It is advantageous, of course, for the individual 
teacher at some time to have the experience of 
teaching pupils of different ages. This experi- 
ence may be gained by permitting teachers to 
accompany the first classes to which they are 
assigned up through three or four successive 
years before assigning them permanently to defi- 
nite grades. Ultimately, however, each teacher 
should specialize in the work of a single grade. 
This makes it possible for each teacher to master 
more thoroughly the subject-matter of his par- 
ticular grade, and enables him to improve his 



14 The Graded Sunday School 

teaching from year to year by the selection of 
new and better illustrative material. Time that 
would not prove sufficient for the satisfactory 
preparation of an entirely new lesson each week 
will yield larger returns when spent with equal 
faithfulness in adding to one's knowledge of 
a subject with which he is already reasonably 
familiar. The elements of psychology and child 
study, the fundamental principles of pedagogy, 
the essentials of method in teaching and other 
subjects are within reach of even the busiest 
teacher who is doing grade work in a fairly well 
equipped and graded Sunday school. Indeed, the 
hope of a more general improvement of teachers 
in service, the hope of any large success in de- 
nominational and interdenominational teacher- 
training plans, is bound up with the success or 
failure of the graded Sunday school. 
Knowledge No one can teach that which he does not know. 

Neither can anyone teach all he knows. To teach 
a little it is necessary to know more. To teach 
a part it is necessary to know the whole. 1 A 
teacher's knowledge of his subject will never be 
complete. Steadily increasing knowledge, how- 
ever, begets in the teacher a real enthusiasm 
for his work which in turn will spread to the 
members of his class, who will soon come to 
share his interest in the subject-matter in hand. 
Knowledge gives the teacher confidence in him- 
self and inspires in his pupils respect for his 
teaching and authority. Knowledge gives right 
perspective and enables the teacher to select for 



is Power 



1 Compare Home, Psychological Principles of Education, pp. 
43-46. 



The Teacher : Place and Qualifications 1 5 

special emphasis the essential things in a lesson 
or course of study. Thus knowledge is power, 
and it is the consciousness of this power that 
adds joy to the sense of duty in the Sunday- 
school teacher's work. 

But in addition to a knowledge of his subject The Teacher 
the teacher must know his pupils. He must MustKnow 
know them as individuals and the abilities, lim- 
itations, and peculiarities in which each differs 
from the others. He must know them as a group 
of approximately the same age, and the general 
traits and tendencies which are to be looked for 
in their present stage of physical, mental, and 
spiritual development. But no matter how large 
the class, a knowledge of the individual pupil is 
also necessary to the best work in teaching ; and, 
no matter how abstract and difficult the subjects 
of psychology and child study which give the in- 
formation may appear, a knowledge of the pupils 
in general is equally indispensable. 

To know the pupil either as an individual or understand- 
as a member of a group means for the teacher, in s the 
first of all, that he must understand the complex N^Jre of 
nature of the unfolding consciousness. Books Consciousness 
of pedagogy and on the principles of teaching 
in the past have dealt too exclusively with the 
mental development of the pupil and with the 
principles which underlie intellectual education. 
They have sometimes overlooked the fact that 
in the unfolding consciousness of the pupil 
the elements of feeling and of will — or, rather, 
the element of feeling and the instinctive im- 
pulses, the tendencies and the habits from which 
the moral decisions of later years grow — are just 



16 



The Graded Sunday School 



Its Importance 
in Religious 
Education 



Stages of 
Development 
in Child Life 



as important for the well-rounded growth and 
development of the individual as is intellectual 
knowledge. 

It is of the utmost importance for the Sunday- 
school teacher to recognize the fact that the 
proper stimulation and guidance of the emotions 
and the will is as essential to normal religious 
development as is the training of the intellect. 
There is a real danger lest, in seeking to make his 
work more educational, the religious teacher give 
to the term "educational" a meaning so narrow 
as to make it synonymous with "intellectual." 
He will escape this error, and incidentally discover 
the key to a scientific interpretation of the 
unfolding religious life, if he will familiarize him- 
self with the contents of a single standard text- 
book on child study, such as, for example, Kirk- 
patrick's Fundamentals of Child Study or 
Taylor's The Study of the Child, with the sug- 
gestive little text of Coe's on The Spiritual Life, 
or the volumes of the present series which deal 
in detail with this theme. 

But the teacher must also understand some- 
thing about the successive stages of development 
in child life, and the characteristics by which 
each stage is distinguished from the others. 
What are the impulses and natural instincts of a 
boy of seven years? of a girl at sixteen? How 
may these impulses be utilized in the religious 
training of the pupil ? What is the best form of 
lessons for boys and girls of the Junior period, 
from eight to twelve? for Senior pupils, from 
sixteen to twenty? What is the proper age at 
which to emphasize obedience to authority? 



The Teacher : Place and Qualifications I 7 

When is the altruistic feeling, with a growing 
interest in the welfare of others, strongest? 
What shall be the special educational aim of the 
teacher with the pupils of his particular grade? 
These are some of the questions which a knowl- 
edge of the laws governing the development of 
child life will assist in answering. 

Again, many of the traits which a teacher dis- inherited and 
covers in a child are inherited, others are ac- Acquired 

1 1 • 1 r - 1 ■ Traits 

quired; and it may be of vital importance to 
know which traits are inherited and which are 
acquired, and also to what extent the teacher 
may hope to overcome unfavorable natural tend- 
encies and substitute by careful training more 
desirable character traits. 1 

It is therefore essential that the teacher's 
equipment shall include both a knowledge of the 
subject-matter of instruction and a knowledge of 
the pupil to be instructed. 



1 Experimental psychologists to-day agree that while environment 
can give no general ability, capacity in every case being inherited, 
yet, on the other hand, heredity can in no case impart specific 
knowledge; and hence, while it remains true that original nature 
is an active force in determining, at least to some extent, a man's 
thoughts and acts, yet no given individual case is ever necessarily 
hopeless or beyond the possibility of influencing for good by intelli- 
gent and persistent training. The problem of the relative influence 
of heredity and environment is a problem of very great importance 
for the religious teacher, and one on which an intimate knowledge 
of the pupil will throw much light. 



Ill 



Central 
Position of 
Pupil in 
Education 



Education 
Furnishes 
Environment 



THE PUPIL: COMPLEX NATURE OF 
CONSCIOUSNESS 

In his endeavor to master the problem that 
confronts him and to equip himself for better 
service in his chosen field the teacher must study 
to know the child or pupil. Without the learner 
there would be no problem of education; the 
course of study would have no purpose and the 
teacher no work or function. The emphasis of 
modern pedagogy on the importance of the pupil 
as both the starting point and the key to the 
entire problem of education has made this factor 
loom large in recent discussions of religious as 
well as secular instruction. Modern educational 
thought recognizes in the child a self -active, 
gradually unfolding, living organism, placed by 
the Creator in the midst of the "blooming, buzz- 
ing confusion" of a complex physical, intellectual, 
and moral environment. The child's growth is 
measured by his increasing power to adjust him- 
self advantageously to this multiform environ- 
ment for purposes of intelligent control. 

The process of individual development, more- 
over, is a life process, and one which follows an 
inner law of the individual life itself. Perfect 
development depends in the child, as in every 
living organism, upon a favorable and stimulating 
environment at each successive stage of the 
process. The business of education is to furnish 
that environment and to intelligently supervise 
18 



The Pupil : Nature of Consciousness 1 9 

and direct the process of the gradual unfolding 
of the life and powers of the pupil in that 
environment. 

The forms of self-activity by which the de- Forms of 
veloping mind reaches out and masters its en- Self - Actwlt y 
vironment are those of feeling, knowing, and 
willing; and these are the means also by which 
the religious consciousness and life unfolds. 

The fundamental element in conscious life is Feeling 
feeling. By this we mean sense impressions giv- Fundamental 
ing rise to pleasure and pain ; the emotions, such 
as fear, joy, love, hate; aesthetic enjoyment and 
its opposite. Feeling is the gateway through 
which the individual life enters into a larger in- 
tellectual life. It is absolutely essential to both 
knowledge and will. Without it there could, 
indeed, be no conscious life. 

In the religious life, also, this element of con- in the 
sciousness is fundamental. In the process of the Reli e ious Life 
religious development of the race it came first. 
Man felt the presence of God, the All-powerful 
and Everywhere-present, the Infinite, before he 
understood intellectually the significance and 
character of that presence. To the touch of God 
man responded emotionally with fear and rever- 
ence. But as the process of rationalizing that 
response has advanced, albeit by faltering steps, 
through the various primitive conceptions of 
divinity to the present-day Christian notion of a 
personal God and a beneficent heavenly Father, 
the element of fear has yielded more and more 
to adoration and love. In religious education, 
therefore, the cultivation of the emotional life is 
of the utmost importance, as will be recognized 



20 



The Graded Sunday School 



The Intellect 



Intellectual 
Factor in 
Religious 
Education 



The 

Knowledge 
Content of 
Religion 



if one seeks in thought to subtract from any given 
religious experience every feeling of reverence, 
awe, and adoration, every aspiration and all that 
belongs to an appreciation of ideals of life and 
character. 

The intellect is that instrument of conscious- 
ness by means of which man acquires knowledge ; 
and the development of the mind's power to know 
the truth constitutes intellectual education. This 
includes training in sense perception, in memory, 
in judgment, and in reasoning. It implies a 
higher form of consciousness than that which is 
necessarily involved in feeling. 

The importance of this intellectual factor in 
religious education is obvious. Without it re- 
ligion would degenerate into sentimental emotion- 
alism on the one hand and into superstition on 
the other. Its prominence may vary with the 
age and peculiarity of the individual or group, 
and with the immediate purpose of religious in- 
struction at any given time or during any given 
period, but it will never be entirely absent. It 
is indispensable in the culture of the emotions 
and in the training of the will. 

Meager as is our scientific knowledge of God 
and of religious truth, there are nevertheless 
some things which are known and which in the 
total constitute a vast body of organized and 
well-articulated facts touching the phenomena of 
personal religious experience and the historical 
development of religion. We possess the sacred 
books of most of the religions of mankind, and 
by familiarizing ourselves with their contents 
we may think again the thoughts of the great 



The Pupil : Nature of Consciousness 2 1 

religious teachers of all ages. Among these 
books is the Bible, in itself no inconsiderable 
library of books, the sacred heritage of two 
great faiths. Its influence upon the religious 
life of the world and upon the development of The Bible: 
human history has extended over more than o ld and New- 
thirty centuries. In the Old Testament there Testaments 
have been preserved for us crystallizations of 
the best religious thought and the highest re- 
ligious aspirations, not only of the Hebrew 
people, but of other ancient civilizations with 
which the Hebrews came in contact. The civ- 
ilizations of Babylonia, Assyria, and Egypt, to- 
gether with the roving tribes of the desert, 
brought their tribute to the religious genius of 
a weaker and often subject people. In the hand 
of the inspired prophets and seers of Israel crude 
religious concepts and primitive rites and cere- 
monies of polytheism were transformed and 
beautified and given a place of honor in the 
temple and worship of Jehovah. In the New 
Testament we possess a trustworthy record of 
the life and teachings of Jesus. We have there 
also the story of the establishment and early de- 
velopment of the Christian Church, together with • 
the interpretation which the earliest apostles and 
their immediate successors placed upon the life- 
work of Jesus. And this tribute to the Bible, 
wholly apart from the question of our interpre- 
tation of its religious message, is sufficient to 
emphasize the essential importance of thorough 
Bible instruction in any system of education 
worthy of the name. 

But in addition to the Bible we possess a record 



22 



The Graded Sunday School 



Other 

Religious 
Literature 



Free Will 
Overestimated 



of the subsequent history of the Christian Church, 
with the story of its heroes and martyrdoms, and 
its ultimate triumph over political opposition; its 
failures and lapses in days of opulence and pros- 
perity, and its subsequent chastening and re- 
newed successes in world evangelization. We 
possess the creeds and formulated dogmas of the 
early Church, with the later interpretations given 
to these in the specific doctrines of the several 
branches of the Church, the product of devout 
meditation of sincere men of strong minds on 
the mysteries of the faith. We possess the ac- 
cumulated treasures of a wonderful Christian 
hymnology and a boundless literature inspired 
by the Christian faith. We possess the light shed 
by science and philosophy upon personal religious 
experience, which enables us to understand and 
interpret the gradual development of the religious 
life and faith in the individual. All this belongs 
to the intellectual equipment of the educated re- 
ligious consciousness, and as such finds its place 
in the subject-matter of any course of religious 
instruction which properly and adequately recog- 
nizes the importance of the intellectual element 
in the unfolding of the religious life. 

The third factor in consciousness demanding 
consideration is the will, the power of choice in 
action. In many respects this is the most im- 
portant of the three elements. 

There are those who question the freedom of 
the will ; but there are doubtless many more who 
overestimate the power of free choice and the 
extent to which it determines action. During 
by far the greater portion of man's existence he 



The Pupil : Nature of Consciousness 23 

is a creature of habit; his life moves smoothly 
forward in a well-worn groove of daily routine, 
the delicately adjusted mechanism of mind and 
body responding in succession to stimulations 
from without and from within. Occasionally 
he is discomforted for a moment by the compet- 
ing claims of several fairly balanced interests, 
but ever and again he yields to the interest pre- 
senting the strongest appeal. And it is well 
that this is so, for without the economy of time 
and effort made possible by habit the simplest 
actions of our daily life would require such 
serious thought and deliberation as to make 
progress and achievement impossible. It is only 
in the rare moments of self-consciousness, on the 
pinnacles and higher levels of our thinking, when 
we are brought face to face with self seen in the 
perspective of the total trend of our life, that we 
can will to change the direction of the current, 
and having once decided either way we neces- 
sarily lapse again into a life of habit. 

The bearing of these facts upon the problem The Task of 
of education, and more especially of religious ** u s ious 

1 mi 1 1 • <• i Education 

education, will be clear if we remember two 
things: (1) That while willed action, involving 
moral decision between right and wrong, is a 
product of the higher states of consciousness, it 
nevertheless has its roots in instinctive actions and 
impulses; (2) That children, perhaps all children 
under the age of approximately twelve years, 
are incapable of independent moral decisions, 
and that so-called willful actions in small chil- 
dren are but the overflow of uncontrolled in- 
stinctive impulse. And, since this is the case, 



24 The Graded Sunday School 

religious education, in order to bring about 
right choices upon a rational plane later in life, 
must in the earlier years wisely stimulate and 
direct correct instinctive tendencies, cultivate 
desirable emotions, inculcate high ideals, and aid 
in the formation of right habits. 
Beauty, Feeling, knowing, willing — these, then, are the 

Truth, and three elements entering into human conscious- 
Holiness , . t ... 

ness and consequently into the religious expe- 
rience of the individual. It is important to re- 
member that each of these elements is essential to 
the normal functioning of the others. Religion 
involves the whole of consciousness as a unit, 
and a religious life from which any one of these 
three factors is wholly absent is unthinkable. In 
the normal religious life the three elements will 
be present in well-balanced if not in equal pro- 
portions. The aim of religious education is to 
develop in the pupil a normal, well-rounded re- 
ligious life in which the intellectual element shall 
temper the emotional and rightly guide the will, 
in which knowledge shall be quickened by lofty 
emotions, and in which feeling and intellect shall 
in turn be subject to a disciplined will; where 
beauty, truth, and holiness, the broken rays of 
that light which lighteth every man, shall blend, 
revealing Him whom to know and love and serve 
is life eternal. 



IV 

THE SCHOOL: SCHEME OF ORGANIZATION 
AND GRADING 

The course of study of the Sunday school, as Two Essential 
the preceding discussion shows, must provide Re <iu ireme nts 
in a systematic way for meeting the spiritual 
needs of the pupil at each successive stage of 
his life's unfolding, from early childhood to full 
maturity. But these needs again will at every 
stage of growth be at least threefold in char- 
acter, relating at one and the same time to the 
intellectual, the emotional, and the volitional 
nature of the pupil. This imposes upon the 
system of Sunday-school instruction two essen- 
tial requirements: (i) The school must be 
graded; (2) The course of study must supply in 
well-balanced proportion proper stimulus and 
guidance for intellect, emotions, and will. It 
will be necessary to consider these requirements 
in order, devoting to each a separate chapter. 

By a graded course of study for the Sunday what Grading 
school we mean one in which there is a regular Means 
gradation of studies and work from the Kinder- 
garten or Beginners Department, with its simple 
exercises and stories, up through the Primary, 
Junior, Intermediate, and Senior Departments 
to the classes for adults, where mature men and 
women study together questions relating to the 
total message of separate books of the Bible, and 
discuss freely the weightier problems of the re- 
ligious life. 

25 



26 



The Graded Sunday School 



Graded 
Lessons 



Measurable 
Progress 



In a graded school no two departments or 
classes will on any given Sunday be studying 
the same lesson. Even at the Christmas and 
Easter seasons there will be a marked difference 
between the several grades in the method of 
treating the same special theme. In a graded 
school boys and girls fifteen and sixteen years 
old will not be taught in the same classes with 
men and women past thirty; children of six and 
seven will not be given the prologue to the fourth 
Gospel, the Prophecies of Jeremiah, or Paul's 
discourse on Mars' Hill; nor will the Senior 
pupils be forced to content themselves year after 
year with frequent adaptations of disconnected 
story lessons suited only to the elementary 
grades. 

In a graded course of Sunday-school instruc- 
tion the work of each year will constitute a unit, 
which, while in a measure complete in itself, will 
nevertheless be definitely related to the work 
which immediately precedes and that which im- 
mediately follows. The completion of a year's 
work in such a course will mark a definite and 
measurable step forward, and lead in turn to 
other work that is new and more advanced. 
Under a graded system of instruction the pupil 
will be conscious of progress year by year, while 
the teacher of each grade will know from the 
outline of the work for preceding years how 
much of Bible history and other religious knowl- 
edge may be counted on as being in the possession 
of his pupils when they enter upon the year's 
work in the new grade. 

A graded curriculum implies annual promo- 



Organization and Grading 



27 



tions and a change of teachers as the pupil 
passes from one grade to the next. It implies 
also specialization and consequently greater 
efficiency on the part of the teacher, who is not 
called upon to teach a new series of lessons each 
year, being permitted to repeat the work of his 
particular grade with a new group of pupils each 
year, or at most every three or four years. This 
makes possible a more thorough mastery of the 
subjects or lessons which the individual teacher 
is required to teach. It leaves some time for a 
wider range of reading and study, and insures 
to the teacher self-confidence, poise, a conscious- 
ness of power, and an abounding joy in service 
which a thorough mastery of one's work alone 
can bring. 

In every graded curriculum there are two 
things to be considered: (1) The scheme of 
organization or grading; (2) The subject-matter 
to be taught, or the content of instruction. The 
former is the skeleton framework, giving form 
and -stability to the whole ; the latter is the flesh 
and blood that clothes with grace and gives sub- 
stance to the form and framework. Both are 
important, as each is essential to the other. 

A thoroughly organized and graded Sunday 
school should have at least three larger or gen- 
eral divisions, with one or more departments in 
each division. The first of these larger di- 
visions will in every case include the elementary 
grades, comprising the Beginners, Primary, and 
Junior Departments, with a Cradle Roll attached 
to the Beginners Department. These three de- 
partments will enroll all pupils up to and includ- 



Annual 
Promotions 



Better 
Teaching 



Essentials ot 
Form and 
Content 



Scheme of 
Organization 



General 
Divisions 



28 The Graded Sunday School 

ing those of twelve years of age. A convenient 
second division is that which in ordinary Sunday- 
school phraseology constitutes the "Main school," 
and which includes the Intermediate and Senior 
Departments, together with the Normal or 
Teacher-training class or classes, where such 
exist. The pupils in this division will range in 
age from thirteen to twenty years, inclusive. In 
addition to the Elementary and Secondary Di- 
visions, as they may be most properly designated, 
there should be a third or Advanced Division for 
adults. This will include both the graduate 
classes pursuing strictly advanced work, and also 
the organized adult classes which have for their 
special purpose the prosecution of aggressive 
evangelism among the adult constituency of the 
community, rather than the more academic work 
implied in strictly advanced courses of biblical 
literature, church history, doctrines, or ethics, 
etc., that would naturally interest smaller groups 
of adults who have passed up through all the 
grades of the preceding departments of the 
school. To summarize in schedule form, the 
general scheme of organization will be as 
follows : 

Elementary Division (ages, i to 12): 

(Cradle Roll.) 

Beginners Department. 

Primary Department. 

Junior Department. 
Secondary Division (ages, 13-20): 

Intermediate Department. 

Senior Department. 

Teacher-Training (Normal) Department. 
Advanced Division (adults) : 

Graduate Courses. 

Organized Adult Classes. 



Organization and Grading 29 

This scheme of organization presupposes separate 
separate meeting places for each of the three feting 
divisions. A properly housed and equipped 
school will provide separate rooms, not only for 
each division, but for each department, and, 
where the number of pupils in each department 
warrants, for each grade within the department 
as well. This will become more evident as we 
consider the above scheme of organization more 
in detail. 

ELEMENTARY DIVISION 

In the general educational discussions of the Elementary 
present the term "elementary education" is used Education 
to designate the training offered by all grades 
below the High school, and including depart- 
ments commonly known as Kindergarten, 
Primary, and Grammar school. The numbering 
of the grades begins with the first year of the 
Primary, the Kindergarten being regarded as a 
sub-primary department for children under six 
years x>f age. In some sections of the country, 
especially those where no public kindergartens 
exist, children are admitted into the first grade 
of the Primary before they are six years old; 
but the constant improvement of the public- 
school system and the more general introduction 
of kindergartens, especially in cities, is rapidly 
raising the minimum age of admission to the first 
grade to six years. 

The number of grades or years covered by Pubiic-schooi 
elementary education, that is, the number of usage 
grades in Primary and Grammar schools taken 
together, varies from seven to eight in different 



30 



The Graded Sunday School 



Sunday- 
School 
Parallel 



Beginners, 
Primary, 
and Junior 
Departments 



parts of the country and in different schools, as, 
for example, between public and private schools 
in the same city. Usually the ninth school year 
above the Kindergarten is the first year of High 
school. Some schools, however, and among 
them some of the very best, restrict elementary 
education to a total of seven years above the 
Kindergarten, beginning the High-school course 
with the eighth school year. Of these seven 
(or eight) years, three fall within the Primary 
school age (six to eight), and four (or five) 
within that of the Grammar school (nine or 
eight to twelve). 

Substituting the term Beginners for Kinder- 
garten, and the term Junior Department for 
Grammar school, we have in our scheme of 
organization for the graded Sunday school, given 
above, an Elementary Division corresponding 
to the best usage in grading in the public schools. 
The Cradle Roll (also called the Font Roll) 
added by the Sunday school is a supplemental 
division of the Beginners Department, intended 
to constitute an added tie or bond of sympathy 
between the school and the home, and to insure 
the prompt enrollment of the little child in the 
Sunday school. 

The organization of three departments within 
the Elementary Division requires, in schools hav- 
ing a large total enrollment, a separate teacher 
for each grade group, making two teachers for 
the Beginners, three for the Primary, four for 
the Junior, or nine teachers in all. There will 
also be needed a superintendent for each of the 
three departments, who, however, may be at the 



Organization and Grading 



31 



same time a teacher of one of the grade groups. 
The department superintendent will in each case 
have general charge of the department. In very 
small schools not all grades are likely to be 
represented in sufficient numbers to require a 
teacher for each grade, and in the smallest 
schools, or where qualified teachers are not 
available, a single teacher may sometimes be in 
charge of all the grades of the department. The 
grading of the pupils in the elementary grades 
will necessarily be largely on the basis of age 
and grade in public-school work. 

Revising our tabular scheme to include the 
suggestions given in the preceding paragraphs, 
we have: 



ELEMENTARY DIVISION 



Elementary 
Division 
Tabular 
Scheme 



Corresponding to Kindergarten, Primary, and 
Grammar Grades of the Public-School 
System 
Departments : 

(Cradle Roll; ages, up to 3.) 

Beginners, two years; ages, 4 and 5. 

Primary, three years; ages, 6-8. 

Junior, four years; ages, 9-12. 
Nine years. Seven grades above the Beginners. 
Three to nine or more teachers. Three departments. 
Three or more rooms. 

SECONDARY DIVISION 

The Secondary Division of the Sunday school, secondary 
like the Elementary, takes its name from public- Education 
school phraseology, in which the term "secondary 
education" is applied to the training offered by 
schools above the elementary grades, including 
high schools, college preparatory schools, normal 
schools, and academies. The term thus covers an 
intermediate period between grammar school and 



32 



The Graded Sunday School 



Intermediate, 
Senior, and 
Teacher- 
Training 
Departments 



Prerequisites 



collegiate training, or between elementary and 
strictly advanced study. 

In our scheme for the Sunday school this di- 
vision will include three departments, namely: 
i. The Intermediate; ages, 13-16; comprising 
four years. 2. The Senior (completing the Sun- 
day-school course proper, exclusive of advanced 
or graduate work) ; ages, 17-20; comprising four 
years. 3. Teacher-Training (Normal) ; ages, 
17 and over ; parallel with the Senior and leading 
to work of Sunday-school teaching. This last 
department will offer two or more courses of 
study covering from two to four years, with 
special training for elementary teachers. There 
should be no upper age limit for the Teacher- 
Training Department. 

The Secondary Division differs from the Ele- 
mentary in several particulars. The grading of 
the pupils is no longer on the basis of age and 
place in the public-school course, but on the basis 
of previous work done in the Sunday school 
itself. The placing of a pupil in the first year of 
the Intermediate Department presupposes that 
he has had the religious training in the Junior 
Department, or its equivalent. In the same way 
the enrolling of a pupil in the second, third, or 
fourth year of the Intermediate, either by pro- 
motion or on first enrollment, presupposes his 
having completed satisfactorily the work of the 
year preceding. Delinquent pupils of mature 
years should be cared for in special classes. In 
the Senior Department it is still more important 
that the enrollment in the department represent 
actual grading of the pupils on the basis of merit. 



Scheme 



Organization and Grading 33 

So long as this is impossible the Sunday school 
will not be graded in any strict sense in its 
Secondary or Main-school Division. 

As a matter of fact, it takes about as many Tabular 
years to thoroughly grade a division of the Sun- 
day school as there are grades or years in the 
courses of study for that division. It is impossi- 
ble, in other words, except where courses for 
two succeeding years may alternate, to have 
pupils doing the work of any given year of the 
Intermediate or Senior Department until they 
have actually done the work of the years which 
precede, that is, have passed up through the pre- 
ceding grades of the department. There are still 
many obstacles in the way of a better grading 
of our Sunday schools, but not so many as there 
were a few years ago, and progress is making in 
this field at an accelerated rate. Things which a 
short time ago seemed impossible of achievement 
are now entirely feasible. 

To recapitulate in tabular form, as in the 
preceding division, we have: 

SECONDARY DIVISION 

Corresponding to High School, Normal School, 
College Preparatory School, and 
Academy 
Departments : 

Intermediate, four years; ages, 13-16. 
Senior, four years; ages, 17-20. 
Teacher-Training (Normal), two to four years; 
ages, 1 7 and over. 
Eight years. Ages, 13-20. When all years of 
Intermediate, Senior, and Teacher-Training Depart- 
ments are represented in the enrollment there will be 
ten or more teachers. Three or more rooms. 

Prerequisites for each department: The work of the 
preceding department or its equivalent; for each year: 
The work of the preceding year or its equivalent. 



34 



The Graded Sunday School 



ADVANCED OR ADULT DIVISION 



Optional 

Advanced 

Courses 



Practical Bible 
Study 



The third or Advanced Division of the Sunday 
school comprises the adult constituency among 
the pupils and students. Regarded in its rela- 
tion to the two preceding divisions, Elementary 
and Secondary, the Advanced Division repre- 
sents a strictly higher type of work and study. 
It must provide for those who have come up 
through the grades, and who have completed the 
requirements of the Intermediate and Senior 
Departments, a profitable selection of optional 
courses of a sufficiently advanced character to 
attract and interest those who are of a studious 
turn of mind, and whose equipment and previous 
training have fitted them for that kind of inde- 
pendent investigation which is characteristic of 
college and university study. 

But not all, perhaps not many, of the adults 
enrolled in the Sunday school will be interested 
in or prepared for advanced studies of this type. 
There is another and equally important function 
which the Advanced Division of the school must 
perform. It has an obligation to the larger so- 
called "unchurched" constituency of the com- 
munity. The Sunday school in placing emphasis 
on the educational side of its work must not 
forsake the work of aggressive evangelism, or 
the work of providing suitable training and Bible 
instruction for those whom the aggressive evan- 
gelism of the Church has won to the religious 
life. And the courses of Bible study which will 
appeal to and help such people must be practical 
rather than of an academic character. 



Organization and Grading 



35 



Organized 
Bible Classes 



Two 
Departments 



At this point the organized adult Bible class, 
with its emphasis upon social life and service and 
upon popular Bible study, fits into our scheme 
of organization, which in the Advanced Division 
thus provides for two departments to meet the 
two distinct needs to which we have referred. 
The organized adult class, with its systematic 
division of labor through the agency of com- 
mittees; with its good fellowship and its week- 
day activities to supplement the class study of the 
Bible on Sunday, admirably meets the need of 
aggressive and effective evangelism among the 
adult constituency of the community. 

The two departments of the Advanced or 
Adult Division of the school will therefore be: 
I. The Graduate Department, and, 2. The Or- 
ganized Adult Class Department, or Department 
of Aggressive Evangelism. The first will be sub- 
ject to restrictions requiring certain previous 
study and training of those who enroll for the 
courses of study which it offers. The second 
will impose no such restrictions, but with a dif- 
ferent aim and purpose will welcome all who 
come, going even into the byways and hedges 
and compelling them to come in. 

Summarizing once more in tabular form, we Tabular 

have * Scheme 

ADVANCED DIVISION 

Adults : Ages, 2 1 and over 
Departments : 

Graduate. Offering strictly advanced elective 
courses in Bible study and kindred subjects. 
Prerequisites : The work of the Senior Depart- 
ment or its equivalent. 
Organized Adult Classes. 

Special aim : Aggressive evangelism. 
No prerequisites. 



36 



The Graded Sunday School 



Other 

Organized 

Classes 



Recapitulation 



The fact that we have placed the organized 
Bible class where we have in our scheme does 
not mean that classes below the Advanced Di- 
vision, or in the Graduate Department of that 
division, may not also with profit to themselves 
and to the school be organized. It simply means 
that there is a distinct and large field of useful- 
ness for such organized class work among adults. 

The Graded Sunday School — Scheme 

of Organization 

elementary division 

Ages, 4-12 

Corresponding to Kindergarten, Primary, and 
Grammar Grades of the Public-School 
System 
Departments : 

(Cradle Roll; ages, up to 3.) 

Beginners, two years; ages, 4 and 5. 

Primary, three years; ages, 6—8. 

Junior, four years; ages, 9-12. 
Nine years. Seven grades above the Beginners. 
Three to nine or more teachers. Three departments. 
Three or more rooms. 

SECONDARY DIVISION 

Ages, 13—20 

Corresponding to High School, Normal School, 
College Preparatory School, and 
Academy 
Departments : 

Intermediate, four years; ages, 13-16. 
Senior, four years; ages, 17-20. 
Teacher-Training (Normal), two to four years; 
ages, 1 7 and over. 
Eight years. When all years of Intermediate, Senior, 
and Teacher-Training Departments are represented in 
the enrollment there will be ten or more teachers. 
Three or more rooms. 

Prerequisites for each department: The work of the 
preceding department or its equivalent. For each year: 
The work of the preceding year or its equivalent. 



Departments 



Organization and Grading 37 

ADVANCED DIVISION 

Adults: Ages, 21 and over 
Departments : 

Graduate. Offering strictly advanced elective 
courses in Bible study and kindred subjects. 
Prerequisites: The work of the Senior Depart- 
ment or its equivalent. 
Organized Adult Classes. 

Special aim: Aggressive evangelism. 
No prerequisites. 

There will be a number of pupils of various special 
ages in almost every school whose previous re- classes or 
ligious training, or lack of training, or mental de- 
fects will make it next to impossible to find a 
place for them in the rigid scheme of grading 
here presented. To accommodate such pupils 
exceptions may sometimes be made in the age and 
grade requirements. These must always in a 
sense and to a certain degree remain flexible. A 
better way to meet the situation, however, would 
be to care for these pupils in special, ungraded 
classes, in which work suited to their special 
needs is provided. Where the number of such 
students warrants, a number of such classes may 
be formed into a Special Department or Division. 
The presence of such pupils, even in large num- 
bers, should not be permitted to interfere with 
or weaken the graded studies in the regular 
course when once the system of graded instruc- 
tion is in successful operation throughout one 
or all of the larger divisions of the school. 



Threefold 
Demand 



■Wholesome 
Atmosphere 



THE CURRICULUM OR SUBJECT-MATTER OF 
INSTRUCTION 

Historically we find the religious impulse 
of man expressed on the feeling side in art and 
literature; on the side of intellect in creed and 
dogma; and on the side of action in deeds of 
heroic service, missionary endeavor, and mar- 
tyrdom. This indicates at once the wide scope 
that must be given to religious training, if this 
is to provide for the religious needs of the pupils 
in their entirety. It means that religious training 
must supply at one and the same time inspiration 
for the heart, information for the intellect, and 
discipline for the will. It means that the work 
of the religious teacher will be one of stimulation, 
of illumination, and of guidance, and that in the 
work of the pupil enthusiasm, study, and effort 
will be present in well-balanced proportion. It 
means that the beautiful, the true, and the good 
will each be accorded its rightful place and its 
proper consideration in the Sunday-school cur- 
riculum, and that right ideals, adequate knowl- 
edge, and right action will be the aim and end of 
Sunday-school instruction. 

THE PLACE OF THE BEAUTIFUL IN THE SUNDAY- 
SCHOOL CURRICULUM 

In the cultivation of the emotional or feeling 
side of the religious life in the Sunday school 
several factors not strictly a part of the course 
38 



Subject- Matter of Instruction 39 

of study are of the utmost importance. These 
include the schoolroom itself, with its appoint- 
ments; the school session, with its program, 
music, worship forms, order; the personal habits 
and manners of the officers and teachers. In the 
formation of their ideals of religion and the re- 
ligious life pupils will be influenced by these in 
a sense external factors more than by the formal 
instruction which they receive. Ideals cannot be 
taught by precepts; they must be set forth in 
concrete example. In their formation the total 
atmosphere of the school rather than its curric- 
ulum is the determining element. 

A roomy, cheerful schoolroom is the first es- The 
sential. Light and ventilation are of primary |**°°!£j 0m 
importance. The cramped, dark, stuffy base- 
ment rooms in which many schools are still 
housed tend to stifle rather than to foster re- 
ligious aspirations. Like the interior of a 
mausoleum or prison dungeon, they remind one 
of light and life and freedom only by way of 
dismal contrast. Not so the "schoolroom beau- 
tiful." Its ceiling is high, its windows large, its 
floor space ample. Its furniture and equipment 
are adapted to the needs of the pupils. Well- 
chosen pictures, copies of the masterpieces in 
sacred art, adorn the walls. A motto here and 
there that tells of light and life eternal voices 
the sentiment which one instinctively feels in 
an environment such as the room and the hour 
afford. 

Next to the schoolroom the program for the The Pr °e ram 
session of the school is important. It should be 
orderly and well arranged. It should have 



40 The Graded Sunday School 

balance, with not too much of song or prayer, 
or any other single feature. It should have 
movement without friction, snap without noise. 
It should have point and purpose, uplift and 
inspiration. The total effect of the program 
upon the pupil should lift the ideal of the religious 
life to a higher level by stimulating deeper re- 
ligious emotions, and at the same time leaving 
the satisfying impression of something appro- 
priate and beautiful in form and content. 

Music Much here depends upon the character of the 

music. The taste of the pupil should be culti- 
vated, not corrupted, as is the tendency of many 
of the popular Sunday-school songs at present 
in vogue in America. Hymns, chants and songs, 
orchestra, quartet and chorus, all have a place 
on Sunday-school programs — but only the best 
of its kind in every case. Nothing short of the 
best in music is good enough for the Sunday 
school. 

worship Another essential is the cultivation of the 

reverential attitude in the sanctuary during 
prayer and toward all things pertaining to the 
worship of God and the personal religious life 
and experience. If religious training fails in 
this particular its influence at every other point 
is weakened. Here again example is better than 
precept. There should be some place in the 
Sunday-school program for meditation and for 
silent communion, with enough of the ritualistic 
element to make the service both dignified and 
sacred. Vitality and spirit should not be sac- 
rificed to form, nor vice versa. Both form and 
substance in divine worship are important. 



Subject- Matter of Instruction 41 

In the formation of right ideals of life and Hero- 
character hero-portraiture has a large place. It Portraiture 
belongs especially to the period of early adoles- 
cence, when the expanding social and self -con- 
sciousness makes its demand for concrete models 
and personal examples outside the narrow sphere 
of the pupil's immediate environment. All that 
is best and noblest in life and most worth while 
in personal achievement may be discovered in 
the study of examples, and no better way is 
opened to a teacher for setting forth clearly the 
difference between higher and lower forms of 
achievement, or for the cultivation of the altru- 
istic feeling in the possession of which all true 
heroism exists. 

Hero-portraiture, and following that, in the culture of 
years of middle adolescence more especially, the Emotions 
more analytic study of the character of patri- 
archs, prophets, apostles, missionary heroes and 
reformers, and of the Christ, rightly used, can- 
not fail to arouse and develop a higher apprecia- 
tion and admiration for the right, a devotion to 
the cause of its furtherance, and the establish- 
ment of the kingdom of God on earth. 

There is need, then, of the best and noblest in The Personal 
the personal environment of the pupil, in order Ideal 
that the constant appeal to his eye and his ear 
shall make for a better and fuller appreciation 
of all that is perfect in form and loveliness. 
There is need that the eye and the ear of the 
soul be supplied with images of life and char- 
acter as noble, in order that these may furnish 
the background in consciousness for the image 
of the crystal life and character of Jesus, and a 



42 



The Graded Sunday School 



setting for the personal ideal of perfect love and 
service 



Truth and 

Intellectual 

Activity 



Knowledge 
Essential to 
Virtue 



THE PLACE OF TRUTH IN THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL 
CURRICULUM 

The intellect, as well as the aesthetic sense and 
emotional response, has a part in the development 
of the religious life. Impulse without knowledge 
would be haphazard in its response to the varied 
stimuli of man's environment. Only in propor- 
tion as the intellectual element is present also 
can the emotional life rise to higher levels. The 
intellect, indeed, is the instrument by means of 
which both the emotions themselves and their 
significance are brought clearly to consciousness. 
It is the sole interpreter of religious life and 
experience. Religious instruction must therefore 
give large place to truth, and to the information 
element of the learning process. 

Knowledge is not virtue, nor is it in itself 
the guarantee of a virtuous life, as the Greeks 
once supposed. But knowledge is essential to 
virtue. It is necessary to know the will of God 
in order to do his will. And the will of God 
toward men in the complex relationships of 
twentieth-century civilization is no simpler than 
the social situation in which it is to be realized. 
To fully appropriate the rich spiritual and re- 
ligious heritage of the race it is necessary to 
know wherein that heritage consists; and to 
appreciate its value and preserve it intact for 
posterity it is necessary to understand in a meas- 
ure the process of its gradual accumulation dur- 
ing the long centuries. The highest type of ethical 



Subject-Matter of Instruction 43 

and moral life implies an intellectual mastery of 
the problems which such a life presents. The 
best type of Christian, like the best type of 
patriot or citizen, is the intellectual type. Heart 
and hand cannot accomplish much that is worth 
while without the head. 

In a certain sense religious instruction is con- ah Truth 
cerned with every department of human knowl- i m P° rtantfor 

Religion 

edge, since there is no field of research or study 
that does not have some bearing more or less 
direct upon religion. The curriculum of the 
Sunday school must therefore at least take cog- 
nizance of all truth, whether scientific or re- 
ligious, even though it include in its material of 
instruction only the latter. The religious train- 
ing that ignores truth revealed by science, or fails 
to take into account the knowledge gained by the 
pupil in his everyday public-school work, is nar- 
row, inadequate, and likely to prove false in 
matters of critical importance. Let us consider 
briefly some of the materials which should find a 
place in such a curriculum. 

The curriculum of the Sunday school will The course 
naturally be biblio-centric, that is, the Bible will Bibli °- Centric 
furnish the source material, if it be not the actual 
text-book of study for much of the instruction 
given. The teaching of the school on its intel- 
lectual side will center in the development of re- 
ligion and the progressive divine revelation. It 
will culminate in the great fundamental principles 
and truths which in the Bible have been grouped 
together and given classic and abiding form. 
For this instruction there is no substitute for 
the inspired utterances of Hebrew lawgiver, 



44 



The Graded Sunday School 



Material Not 

Exclusively 

Biblical 



Nature 
Stories, 
Legends 



priest, psalmist, and prophet; no revelation com- 
parable with that set forth in the life and words 
and works of Jesus of Nazareth. And the 
library of selected books in which are found the 
stories of Abraham and Moses, of Samuel and 
David, of Amos and Isaiah, the library in which 
is preserved the record of the life of Christ and 
the foundation of the Christian Church, is none 
other than our Bible. The Bible will therefore 
of necessity furnish much of the subject-matter 
of religious instruction, both in Jewish and in 
Christian Sabbath schools. 

But this does not mean that the Bible will be 
the only source from which the subject-matter 
for the Sunday-school curriculum is to be drawn. 
Our starting point in religious training is, as we 
have seen, not the material of instruction at all, 
but the needs of the unfolding life of the child. 
In meeting these changing needs at successive 
periods of the pupil's development it will be nec- 
essary many times to turn for illustrative and 
other materials to sources more completely within 
the range of the pupil's natural and more im- 
mediate interests. That this should be neces- 
sary is evident when we remember that the Bible 
is not and never was intended primarily for 
children. 

For the teacher's work of the lower elementary 
grades the child's natural home-and-out-of-door 
environment furnishes an exhaustless wealth of 
story material which the Sunday-school curri-* 
culum should present in available form for use 
in teaching. The little child must be led to 
understand and appreciate the heavenly Father's 



Subject-Matter of Instruction 45 

loving care for all his creatures in such a way 
that he will respond naturally in loving trust 
and obedience. Nature and home-life stories, 
fairy tales, myths, folklore, and legends all have 
a place here. It is necessary only that each 
should be kept in its proper place, and not be 
given that which belongs to statements of fact or 
to historical studies. 

In the Junior and Intermediate grades bio- Biography 
graphical studies from the Bible should be supple- 
mented by briefer courses setting forth the life 
and work of a selected number of the most con- 
spicuous church heroes from apostolic to modern 
times. In seeking during this period to incul- 
cate and strengthen right habits of truthfulness, 
obedience, and service there will be need of ex- 
amples chosen from secular history and from 
present-day life. 

In the choice of memory selections throughout Hymns, 
the grades in which such are used a goodly and'StuTi 
number of the greatest and best hymns of the 
Church should be included, along with the beat- 
itudes, commandments, psalms, and selected 
passages and chapters from the Bible. The 
claim of the catechism to a place of prominence 
in every curriculum of religious instruction will 
be conceded. Some of the catechisms in current 
use are perhaps sadly in need of revision; but, 
this question aside, the Sunday-school curriculum 
should supply the need for doctrinal instruction 
at the proper time and in right proportion. 

Parallel with the chronological study of Bible church 
history in the Intermediate and Senior Depart- ^^^ 
ments a course in denominational and general Religion 



4 6 



The Graded Sunday School 



Art and 
Literature 
Inspired by 
Faith 



church history should be given. In the Senior 
Department (17-20) a profitable subject of 
study, viewed in the light of its influence in 
broadening the religious outlook and horizon of 
the pupil, would be a comparative study of re- 
ligions or a brief course in the historic develop- 
ment of religion. The faith or creed that is 
not strengthened by an unprejudiced comparison 
with the faiths and creeds held by other peoples 
and races itself needs some revision. 

Still another most profitable and inspiring 
field of inquiry into which Senior and Adult 
students should be introduced, at least inciden- 
tally, is that of discovering and studying some 
of the accumulated treasures of art, music, and 
literature that have been inspired by religious 
faith and aspiration. For those whose thoughts 
have never been turned into this channel a reve- 
lation of the all-pervading, uplifting influence 
of religious faith among men is still in store. 
Church hymnology, the great oratorios like "The 
Creation" and "The Messiah/' the masterpieces 
of the world's greatest painters, and many gems 
of classic literature, will gain new meaning from 
such a study, 
social studies The Advanced Division of the school affords 
an opportunity for a large variety of optional 
studies adapted to the interests and preferences 
of the particular class group. The general prob- 
lem of the application of the principles of re- 
ligious faith to modern life presents many attrac- 
tive lines of study. The social conditions, needs, 
and agencies for social betterment in the local 
community, the obligations and responsibilities 



Courses 



Subject- Matter of Instruction 47 

of Christian citizenship, Christian ethics in 
modern business and politics, the Church and 
the changing social order, and other similar 
topics might profitably engage an adult Bible 
class. 

Smaller groups will be interested in advanced Graduate 
studies in biblical research and kindred topics. 
A list of type subjects for such courses might 
well include the following: 

The Hebrew Psalter : Its Origin, Growth, and Place in 
Old Testament Canon. 

Old and New Testament Wisdom Literature. 

The Period Between the Old and New Testaments. 

Traces of Greek and Roman Culture and Philosophy 
in the New Testament. 

Post-Biblical Hebrew History and Literature. 

The Teaching of Jesus as Amplified by Paul. 

The Influence of the Christian Church in the Develop- 
ment of European History. 

In a graded system of Sunday-school instruc- Temperance 
tion temperance teaching will receive more care- Teachin s 
ful attention than under the mechanical tri- 
monthly temperance lesson arrangement of the 
old uniform system. Short courses of connected 
and consecutive lessons suited to the age of the 
pupil will be included in the curriculum. These 
courses will take into account both the public- 
school teaching on the evil effects of alcohol on 
the human system and the modern social and 
economic reasons for abstinence from the use 
of intoxicants. This will not exclude or super- 
sede the use of biblical material; but it will pro- 
vide a more direct line of approach to the pupil, 
furnish much needed supplemental teaching 
material, and at the same time compel a saner 



New Graded 
Courses 



48 



The Graded Sunday School 



and more pedagogical use of the Scriptures, the 
total emphasis of which is upon the need and 
virtue of sobriety and self-control rather than 
upon the moral wrong of drinking wine and 
other "strong drink." 

Thus from the lowest to the highest grades 
the Sunday-school curriculum, while giving first 
place to Bible instruction, will also utilize much 
extra-biblical material. How this material may 
be incorporated into the courses of study has 
been admirably illustrated in the different graded 
courses now available. 1 



The Final 
Problem 



Direct 
Appeal 



INFLUENCING THE WILL IN SUNDAY-SCHOOL 
INSTRUCTION 

Granted a proper provision for the emotional 
and intellectual factors in the Sunday-school 
curriculum, we have still to face the problem of 
how finally the desired response of the will in 
right action may be secured. This, after all, is 
the end, the ultimate goal of all religious train- 
ing. It is not enough to know the truth and feel 
deep stirrings of religious emotion. Knowing 
and feeling, to become vital, must result in doing. 
The emotion must lead to effort; the idea must 
take form in action. Let us consider briefly how 
this is brought about or accomplished. 

We speak of appealing directly to the will, and 
of urging a person to decide for the right and 
against the wrong. But just what is it that we 
actually do in making such an appeal ? To state 
it somewhat technically : We present in attractive 
form the idea of the desired action involved in 

1 Compare Chapters XII-XV of this manual. 



Subject-Matter of Instruction 49 

right volitional response. Or, in simpler words, 
we suggest the right course of action, and then 
picture the end to be obtained thereby in such 
a way as to make its attainment seem imme- 
diately and above all things desirable. We do 
exactly what the salesman does in trying to 
sell his wares. He praises the goods and urges 
the advantage of immediate purchase. We extol 
the right and urge the necessity of its immediate 
acceptance and execution. In both cases a favor- 
able response depends upon the attractiveness 
of the suggested line of action to the person to 
whom the appeal is made. Not that we make 
merchandise of the things of the spirit, but rather 
that we set forth in its most favorable and at- 
tractive form the right as the highest good, 
worthy above all things else of immediate acqui- 
sition. And only to the extent to which we suc- 
ceed in making the right course of action attrac- 
tive will we succeed in winning our pupils to 
enter upon its pursuit. 

And this brings us at once to a vital principle a Question of 
which underlies moral action. One man cheats Standards 
and robs his fellows for his own immediate gain, 
steels himself against appeals of charity and 
philanthropy, that he may the more fully gratify 
his own craving for hoarded wealth or for 
pleasure. Another man gives all his goods to 
feed the poor, and spends himself in service for 
his neighbor, seeking a higher pleasure and a 
more enduring good in promoting the well-being 
of his fellows. One boy spends his evenings on 
the street with the gang, having a good time; 
another boy pores over his books that he may 



5° 



The Graded Sunday School 



Moral Man- 
Saint 



Product of 
Training 



Religious 
Maturity 



have a good lesson or equip himself for a better 
position in later life. The difference in each 
case is a difference between a lower and a higher 
conception of what is worth while, between a 
lower and a higher standard of action. 

The moral man is the man who possesses high 
standards of personal, social and civic life, 
and who does not deviate from his standards. 
A saint is a man who in addition to high stand- 
ards has a noble religious faith by which he tests 
these standards and controls his life. 

But moral standards and religious faith alike 
are largely the product of early training. They 
should be this more than they are at present. 
The foundations for both morality and faith 
should be laid long before the child reaches the 
age of moral accountability, or is capable of 
making a conscious, voluntary moral decision. 
How these foundations of character may be laid 
by the stimulation of the right and the inhi- 
bition of wrong impulses, by the inculcation of 
correct habits of thought and action, and by 
the development of high personal ideals, we 
sought to show in Chapter III. It remains here 
only to emphasize the fact that noble and Christ- 
like character normally is the product of growth 
and training rather than of sudden revolution; 
that the work of religious education is one of 
preservation and guidance rather than of rescue. 

It will still be necessary to make sure that 
with the dawning sense of independence and per- 
sonal responsibility in conduct there shall come 
a glad free choice of those ideals and standards 
hitherto accepted ready-made from others. It 



Subject- Matter of Instruction $\ 

will still be necessary ever and again to make 
the direct appeal. And it will be necessary con- 
tinually to set forth the beauty of holiness and 
the superlative worth of the things of the spirit, 
and to protect and guard the weak against the 
shipwreck of character by the acceptance of 
standards and ideals that are false and low. 
But gradually our pupils should come to years 
of moral and religious maturity when they will 
have outgrown the need of persuasion and ap- 
peal. Like the merchant who is no longer de- 
pendent upon the traveling salesman, but obtains 
his merchandise first-hand from the original 
source of its supply in accordance with a clearly 
defined business policy, so the mature Christian, 
the man thoroughly grounded in his religious 
faith, decides for himself in matters pertaining 
to moral conduct on the basis of firmly estab- 
lished habits of thought and principles of action. Teacher's 

This training of the will obviously does not re- Task 
quire separate or special material of instruction. 
It does require wise and proper methods in 
utilizing and presenting the subject-matter in 
the curriculum. And this presupposes that the 
teacher to whom has been intrusted the task of 
watching over and guiding the developing re- 
ligious life must comprehend his task. He must 
see the goal from the beginning, and he must 
know the way that leads thither. He must know 
the child, he must know the truth that he under- 
takes to teach, and he must have confidence in 
the ancient proverb which says, "Train up a 
child in the way he should go, and when he is 
old he will not depart from it." 



VI 



Not Merely a 
Question of 
Lesson 
Making 



THE COURSE OF STUDY: THREE VIEWPOINTS 

The problem of the course of study for the 
Sunday school is of such vital importance to 
the entire problem of religious education that 
it will be worth our while to consider the sub- 
ject somewhat further in its historical, pedagogi- 
cal, and religious aspects. The historical point 
of view will give perspective; the religious point 
of view will suggest motive and purpose; and 
the pedagogical point of view will set into clearer 
light certain guiding principles. 

It is important to note that the problem in- 
volved is larger than that of mere lesson making. 
We have had too many Sunday-school lessons 
and too little consecutive and systematic Chris- 
tian instruction. We have magnified the lesson 
until we have lost sight of the aim. In our 
anxiety about what should be taught we have 
forgotten why we were teaching. The means 
has been exalted above the end, with the result 
that differences of opinion touching subject- 
matter and method have sometimes obscured the 
unity of purpose, which is the more essential. 



Permanent 
Elements 
vs. Non- 
Essentials 



THE HISTORICAL VIEWPOINT 

Viewing the problem of religious instruction 
historically, we must inquire what materials of 
instruction have been used by the Christian 
Church and in distinctly Christian schools in 
the past, that is, from the very beginning of the 
52 



The Course of Study 53 

Christian era. Such an inquiry may be expected 
to reveal certain permanent elements amid a 
more or less fluctuating mass of non-essentials. 
The transient non-essentials need not detain us 
if we succeed in discovering those elements that 
are of permanent value. 

Such an historical inquiry reveals, first of Bible not the 
all, the significant fact that the Bible has never 8ole Text " book 
been the sole text-book of religious instruction 
in Christian schools. Its precepts and principles, \ 

its ideals and standards, have been underneath 
and back of all effective Christian teaching, but 
the book itself has not always been in the hands 
of the pupil, nor has it ever been the sole and 
exclusive text-book. This fact is the more sig- 
nificant because it is most evident when we 
consider the two great periods of church his- 
tory, covering approximately four centuries 
each, the one at the very beginning of the Chris- 
tian era, preceding the establishment of the 
Papacy and the gradual degeneration of the 
Church, and the other following the Protestant 
Reformation and including many successive 
periods of glorious religious revival. 

The first of these two great periods was one in the 
of beginnings, of persecutions, and of conflict Early Church 
with a cultured but degenerate paganism. It 
was a period of intense missionary activity, of 
controversy, and of intellectual and social strug- 
gle. The strongholds of paganism were as- 
saulted, creeds were formulated, the organization 
of the Church perfected, and the practical rules 
of Christian living determined. The religious 
instruction of this period consisted largely in 



54 Th e Graded Sunday School 

personal testimony and example. Only gradu- 
ally did such instruction take definite, systematic 
form in the institution of the Christian catechu- 
menate, and not until the beginning of the fourth 
century was the canon of the New Testament 
finally determined. The list of text-books for 
Christian teaching in general use during these 
and immediately succeeding centuries included, 
in addition to the apostolic writings, Gospels, 
Acts, and Epistles, gradually being collected, 
selected books of the Old Testament, together 
with the Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, Judith, 
Tobias, the Shepherd of Hermas, and others 
which might be specifically mentioned. Many of 
these, like all the New Testament writings, were 
written for the specific purpose of serving as 
books of religious instruction, and those here 
mentioned were among the favorites. Most of 
them are preserved for us in the collection of 
so-called apocryphal books, which used to be 
Extra printed together with the Bible, but which were 

Biblical excluded from the Bible itself because judged 

of lesser importance and value. It is important 
to note that while the service rendered by these 
"extra-biblical" text-books of religious instruc- 
tion was preliminary and supplementary to the 
more specific Christian teaching from the apos- 
tolic writings — Gospels, Acts, and Epistles — yet 
that service was none the less definite and real. 
The significant fact is that they proved helpful 
to the Christian Church in its work of religious 
instruction during the first and most glorious 
period of its advance. 

The principal text-book of religious instruction 



Materials 



The Course of Study 55 

during the great Reformation period of the six- Reformation 
teenth century was the church catechism. Bible Period 
reading was reserved primarily for the church 
service and for the home. Gradually, selected 
narratives from the Old and New Testaments 
were introduced into the course of study, at 
first only by way of illustrating the teaching of 
the catechism, but later because of their inde- 
pendent value. The Protestant Reformation 
reclaimed the Bible for the Church, and placed 
it in the hands of the laity as the great source- 
book of Christian truth and inspiration; but the 
same Reformation gave to the Church its cate- 
chism as the popular text-book of religious in- 
struction for Church and school. The source- 
book we shall never outgrow. The text-book 
which interprets its message to the young and 
to beginners in the Christian life, must be 
adapted to the changing needs of the individual 
and the age. Therefore, text-books and courses 
of study in systematic Christian teaching must 
change. But although they must change they are 
none the less indispensable. 

The rapid development of systematic religious Later 
instruction in Europe since the Reformation has Multiplication 

1111 11 1 1 • /-m • r of Text-books 

added other text-books to the catechism. Chief 
among these is the Bible itself, which, however, 
is usually printed in special school editions, with 
certain portions, of questionable value for chil- 
dren, omitted. There are many text-books of 
information about the Bible, its geography, its 
books, its manners and customs; text-books in 
church history and Christian missions, in ethics, 
and books dealing with the origin and interpre- 



5 6 



The Graded Sunday School 



Modern 
Pedagogy 
a Product of 
Religious 
Education 



From Luther 
to Herbart 



tation of the classic hymns of the Church. Every 
one of these books contributes its share to the 
better understanding of the Bible and its mes- 
sage. Every one has been found helpful in the 
training and development of Christian character. 

THE PEDAGOGICAL VIEWPOINT 

Modern pedagogy, from the Renaissance 
down, has developed largely within the Christian 
Church. Some of its most far-reaching reform 
suggestions were tried first in the field of re- 
ligious education. Luther, Comenius, Francke, 
Pestalozzi, Dinter, Herbart, and Froebel were 
reformers in the field of religious and moral 
education. In the catechetical instruction of the 
Christian Church were developed the principles 
of modern inductive teaching, just as in an 
earlier period of church history deductive logic 
had been perfected in the arena of theological 
discussion. 

Martin Luther was the ideal and the inspira- 
tion of the schoolmasters of the Reformation, 
and his catechisms the printed text-books of Ger- 
man religious instruction for centuries. John 
Amos Comenius, author of The Great Didactic, 
was an exiled Bishop of the Moravian Church. 
August Hermann Francke was at once the great- 
est schoolmaster, the greatest philanthropist, and 
the representative pietist of his time. In Fried- 
rich Gustav Dinter's Rules of Catechetical In- 
struction, the Socratic art and method found 
their culmination. To Pestalozzi and Froebel 
we are indebted for the ideas underlying the 
kindergarten, and for the educational principle 



of it All 



The Course of Study 57 

that children are creative rather than receptive 
creatures, and that all educational work should 
recognize this inherent tendency of children to 
express themselves in action. Herbart first 
enunciated the principle of apperception and 
that of a unified mental life and development. 
To him, also, we owe the theoretic formulation 
of the recitation method. 

The line of development from Luther to Din- The Meaning 
ter and from Dinter to Herbart and Froebel, 
and from these again to the present-day repre- 
sentatives of their respective schools of educa- 
tional thought, is unmistakable; the progress 
both in theory and method is definite and meas- 
urable. Applying the net results of that progress 
and development to our Sunday-school problem, 
it means that the child and his religious needs 
must determine both the content and the arrange- 
ment of the course of study; that the subject- 
matter of instruction must be adapted to the 
natural interest, the capacity, and the previous 
training of the pupil at each successive stage 
of his development. It means that the principles 
and teachings of the Bible will be interpreted 
to the child on his own plane, in his own lan- 
guage, and by the use of methods that he can 
handle and appreciate. It means that in the 
elementary grades nature and home-life stories 
will be used, in addition to giving selected stories 
from the Bible, to teach the truth of God's love 
and care. It means that in the upper grades 
church history, missionary, and lifework studies 
will form an integral part of the course of study. 
It means that the Bible will not be mechanically 



58 



The Graded Sunday School 



Variety in 
Teaching 
Material 
Essential 



or arbitrarily forced into every lesson and reci- 
tation, but rather that Bible history, the life 
of Christ, his teachings and the teachings of the 
prophets and the apostles will, in their right 
place and at the right time, be taught more thor- 
oughly and more effectively than ever before. 
It means that under the guidance and blessing 
of the God of law and orderly progress there 
will be larger results, with less friction and 
waste, than we have ever before realized in the 
work of the American Sunday school. 

THE RELIGIOUS VIEWPOINT 

The multiplication and improvement of text- 
books of religious instruction, and the expansion 
of the courses of study to include missionary 
and church history, Christian ethics, and other 
subjects, has been in harmony with the specific 
aim which such instruction is intended to serve. 
When we read th§ parables of Jesus, setting forth 
the character and growth of the kingdom of 
heaven, or the sermon of Peter at Pentecost, in 
which he reviews briefly the past development 
of the Kingdom as revealed in God's dealing 
with the Hebrew race, the important thing in 
either case is not the parable or the sermon, but 
the truth which each is intended to teach. And 
if in this year of our Lord 1912, nearly twenty 
centuries after Jesus lived and taught, we can 
make his message clearer to our children by 
using other words and other teaching material; 
if we can show them, by means of a course of 
missionary and church-history studies, that the 
grain of mustard seed is indeed become a mighty 



The Course of Study 



59 



tree, in the shade of which there is rest and 
refreshing for the weary and heavy-laden of 
earth ; if we can show them just how the gospel 
leaven has been at work in human society, slowly 
but surely leavening the whole lump, and just 
how God's promise to Abraham has been ful- 
filled in the blessing that has come through Chris- 
tianity to all nations of the earth, shall we hesi- 
tate to use the materials and tools best suited to 
our present need and task? 

Our Lord's parables about the Kingdom were To the Proper 
not fulfilled in his day. And unless we teach ^™ nt 
the elements of church and missionary history character 
from apostolic times to the present day to our 
pupils in the Sunday school, the message of 
those parables will fall, like the seed by the way- 
side, among thorns and upon shallow ground, 
where it cannot bring forth its best fruit. If we 
fail to use and to teach in our Sunday schools 
the classic anthems and hymns of the Church, 
we will deprive our young people of one of the 
greatest and noblest sources of emotional uplift, 
one of the perpetual springs of religious joy, 
while the brightest of them will come to believe 
that the best music, like the best of many other 
things which they enjoy, is to be found only 
outside of the radius of the Christian Church 
and life. And if we fail to teach systematically 
the fundamentals of Christian ethics as applied 
to modern business and social conditions, we 
must expect our young men, when they go out 
into life to adopt the principles and standards 
of the curb and the market place, for to them 
the exhortation of Jesus to follow and to abide 



60 The Graded Sunday School 

in him will seem vague and "other-worldly" be- 
cause it has been given no practical modern 
interpretation. 

From whatever point of view, then, we con- 
sider the course of study for the Christian Sun- 
day school it appears imperative that that course 
be broad enough and thorough enough to meet 
adequately the religious need of the student or 
pupil. 



PART TWO 

THE GRADED SUNDAY SCHOOL IN 
ITS HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT 



61 



VII 



EARLY BEGINNINGS IN THE INTER- 
NATIONAL FIELD 

The development of systematic religious in- Public-school 
struction in the Sunday schools of America is Model 
closely connected in point of time with the de- 
velopment of the American public-school system 
on the one hand, and on the other with the rise 
and growth of the International Sunday School 
Association. The uniform lesson system in 
vogue since 1872 was preceded and made pos- 
sible by the Sunday-school institute movement, 
the idea of which was borrowed directly though 
somewhat tardily from the teachers' institutes 
of the public-school system. Referring to teach- 
ers' institutes as furnishing an example worthy 
of emulation by Sunday-school workers, a prom- 
inent Sunday-school leader 1 as early as 1847 
wrote: "Such gatherings give occasion to ask 
why Sunday-school teachers might not have 
similar means of improvement." 2 

It was not until ten years later, however, that Early sunday- 
the first "normal class" for the training of Sun- f^ t °°„ t 
day-school teachers was organized in a local 
church. This was in 1857 in Joliet, Illinois. In 
April, 1 86 1, the first Sunday-school teachers' 
institute was held in Freeport, Illinois, followed 
shortly afterward by similar institutes in other 
places, principally in Illinois and New York. 

Parallel with the development of the Sunday- 



1 Dr. D. P. Kidder. 



2 Gilbert, The Lesson System, p. 19. 
$3 



64 The Graded Sunday School 

school institutes, county and state Sunday-school 
conventions came more and more into vogue. 
These really antedated the inauguration of insti- 
tute work by several decades, and the convention 
feature, with its emphasis upon numbers and 
its enthusiasm for propaganda, has on the whole 
always predominated in Sunday-school gather- 
ings, crowding the more careful and systematic 
work of institute instruction somewhat into the 
background. National Sunday-school conven- 
tions have been held as follows : 

First, New York city, 1832. 
Second, Philadelphia, 1833. 
Third, Philadelphia, 1859. 
Fourth, Newark, New Jersey, 1869. 
Fifth, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1872. 

Since 1869 these conventions have been held 
triennially, and beginning with the convention of 
1875 they have assumed international scope and 
have been designated international Sunday- 
school conventions. International Sunday-school 
conventions have been held as follows : 

1875, Baltimore, Maryland. 
1878, Atlanta, Georgia. 
1 88 1, Toronto, Canada. 
1884, Louisville, Kentucky. 
1887, Chicago, Illinois. 
1890, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. 
1893, Saint Louis, Missouri. 
1896, Boston. Massachusetts. 
1899, Atlanta, Georgia. 
1902, Denver, Colorado. 
1905, Toronto, Canada. 
1908, Louisville, Kentucky. 
191 1, San Francisco, California. 1 



1 Chosen at Louisville as the meeting place for the convention of 
1911. 



Early Beginnings 



65 



Several of the international conventions thus important 
far held mark important milestones in the de- Mllestones 
velopment of graded Sunday-school instruction, 
and will be referred to again in the course of 
this discussion. At present most of the states 
and provinces of North America are more or 
less thoroughly organized, and county and state 
Sunday-school conventions are perhaps as gen- 
erally and as regularly held as are the institutes 
and conventions for public-school teachers. It 
is important at this point to note that it was the 
work of the early institutes and conventions 
which perhaps more than any other one influence 
created a demand for better Sunday-school lesson 
courses and "helps" ; and that it was the demand 
thus created which led not only to the adoption 
of the uniform lessons, but to the introduction 
of a periodical Sunday-school literature, includ- 
ing "lesson helps" in the form of weekly and 
monthly journals and quarterlies and annual 
volumes, the extent and excellence of which 
have made these publications one of the chief 
sources of information and instruction in religion 
and morals during the past three decades of 
American history. 

It is true, as Dr. Marianna Brown 1 has "Limited 
pointed out, that the American Sunday School Lesson m 
Union as early as 1825 "inaugurated the 'Limited 
Lesson Scheme/ a reaction against the then 
existing custom of ceaseless memorizing," and 
that this scheme provided a five-year course of 
lessons covering the more important portions 
of the Bible. But whatever influence this Union 



1 Sunday School Movement in America, p. 77. 



66 The Graded Sunday School 

may have exerted was wielded largely, if not 
wholly, through the medium of these same con- 
ventions and institutes. The work of the Amer- 
ican Sunday School Union has been principally 
one of propaganda. In the establishment of new 
schools in frontier and out-of-the-way com- 
munities it has rendered a valuable service dur- 
ing the greater part of a century. It has opened 
the way for denominational activity and for the 
planting of churches. In the quality of its edu- 
cational and literary work, however, it has been 
far outstripped by the various denominations. 
This could hardly be otherwise. It would be 
so in the case of the International Sunday School 
Association were this organization to lose sight 
of the fact that it is the creature and the servant, 
and not the rival, of the denominations, and 
should it undertake the publication of Sunday- 
school periodicals or lesson courses, 
international The strength of the International Association 
Sunday school lies j n the fact that it j s the helper, and not the 

Association . p , , , _ j , - 

competitor, of the denominational bunday-school 
departments. The particular part which this 
Association has played in the movement toward 
graded courses of Sunday-school instruction 
will appear in another part of this discussion ; 
let it here suffice to say that the International 
Sunday School Association has taken the place 
which would seem to have belonged logically to 
the American Sunday School Union, had the 
course of development and the chosen field of 
labor of the latter been somewhat different. 

Next in point of time to the "Limited Lesson 
Scheme" of the American Sunday School Union, 



Early Beginnings 67 

but of far greater importance in affecting the 

future development of lesson courses, was a 

lesson plan entitled ''Two Years with Jesus: A 

New System of Sunday School Study," presented Dr. Vincent's 

in 1866 by Dr. Vincent in The Sunday School N * wS J stem 

rn 1 1 1 . °* Sunday 

Teacher, a monthly journal started (as a quar- school study, 
terly) by him the preceding year. In his new l866 
publication venture, which shortly proved a great 
success, Dr. Vincent was supported by the Chi- 
cago Sunday School Union. 1 This was the first 
series of analytical lessons and the first Sunday- The First 
school lesson periodical ever issued in America, Monthl y. 
if not in the world, and The Sunday School 
Teacher became the model after which, with 
some modification in style and amplification in 
scope and contents, all. subsequent periodicals of 
the kind may be said to have been modeled. 

The following year Dr. Vincent accepted a The Rev. 
call to take charge of the Sunday-school depart- Edward 

r 1 . i . . , , , Eggleston 

ment of his own denomination, with headquarters 
at New York. He was, after a brief interval, 
succeeded as editor of The Sunday School 
Teacher by the Rev. Edward Eggleston, during 
whose incumbency in office the publication 
reached (in four years) a circulation of 35,000 
copies. Its name had again been changed to The 
International Sunday School Teacher. By the 
beginning of 1870 a number of denominational 
and other lesson courses were on the market, 
while more than thirteen monthly and weekly 
publications had begun to publish notes on one 
or the other series of lessons. 

It was but natural that there should be a de- 



1 The Lesson System, p. 25. 



68 



The Graded Sunday School 



Uniform 
Lesson 
System 
Proposed 



Difficulties 
in the Way 



Mr. B. F. 
Jacobs 



mand on the part of many earnest and aggres- 
sive leaders that if possible some one uniform 
series of lessons should be agreed upon. This 
demand was at first indorsed by Dr. Eggleston 
and the management of The International Sun- 
day School Teacher, in the hope that the course 
of lessons then being printed in that publication, 
now far in the lead in the number of its sub- 
scribers, would be adopted as the uniform series. 
When, however, it became evident that this 
would not be the case, the management of the 
International Sunday School Teacher opposed 
uniformity. Dr. Vincent, who as editor of The 
Sunday School Teacher had been the first 
champion of uniformity, had also come seriously 
to question the feasibility of such a scheme, in 
view of the denominational interests apparently 
at stake. 

Indeed, the scheme would have failed of reali- 
zation had it not been for the unwavering en- 
thusiasm of Mr. B. F. Jacobs, a layman and 
commission merchant of Chicago, to whose gen- 
erous financial support as well as personal 
leadership the early organized Sunday-school 
work in Chicago and in America owed perhaps 
more than to any other one man. It was Mr. 
Jacobs who systematically, persistently, and al- 
ways with enthusiasm worked unfalteringly for 
the adoption of a uniform series of lessons. As 
chairman of the superintendents' section of the 
fourth national convention in 1869 he secured 
the indorsement of the plan of uniformity by 
three fourths of the superintendents present, 1 and 

1 The Development of the Sunday School, p. 41. 



Early Beginnings 69 

as member of the Executive Committee appointed 
to arrange for the Indianapolis convention of 
1872, he urged that committee at its meeting in 
New York in July, 1871, to take some action 
looking toward the presentation of the subject 
at the convention. The committee responded 
favorably to the suggestion, and a conference Publishers- 
with publishers was arranged to meet in New conference 
York the following month. At this conference 
twenty-nine publishers were represented. Under 
the influence of Mr. Jacobs's earnest advocacy 
of the plan, this conference appointed a com- 
mittee from its own membership to select a list 
of lessons for the next year, which all agreed 
to publish. This committee of publishers found 
it difficult to come to an agreement and were Agreement 
ready to abandon the task; but the earnest in- Reached 
sistence of Mr. Jacobs finally carried the day, 
and after many delays the experiment was tried. 

The scheme still needed the indorsement of The uniform 
the Sunday-school forces of America, and this Wesson 

• Mir 1 V x 5. System 

was given in very tangible form by the Indian- Adopted 1872 
apolis convention in April of the following year. 
By an almost unanimous vote the convention 
made the work of the publishers' committee its 
own, and appointed a committee 1 to select a 
seven-year series (changed later to a six-year 



1 Upon this first lesson committee the following persons were 

S>pointed: Clergymen — Rev. J. H. Vincent, D.D., New Jersey, 
ethodist; Rev. John Hall, D.D., New York, Presbyterian; Rev. 
Warren Randolph, D.D., Pennsylvania, Baptist; Rev. Richard 
Newton, D.D., Pennsylvania, Episcopal; Rev. A. L. Chapin, LL.D., 
Wisconsin, Congregational. Laymen — Professor P. H. Gillett, 
LL.D., Illinois, Methodist; George H. Stewart, Pennsylvania, Pres- 
byterian; B. F. Jacobs, Illinois, Baptist; Alexander G. Tyng, Illinois, 
Episcopal; Henry P. Haven, Connecticut, Congregational. Canadian 
members were added later as follows: Rev. J. Monro Gibson, D.D., 
Quebec, Presbyterian; A. MacAllum, Ontario, Methodist. 



7$ The Graded Sunday School 

series) of national uniform lessons. Meanwhile 
Dr. Vincent, who was made chairman of the 
committee, had already been in correspondence 
with representative Sunday-school leaders in 
Great Britain, and before the new lesson scheme 
was much more than successfully launched Eng- 
land and Scotland, as well as Canada, fell into 
line, and the system thus became truly inter- 
national in its character. 



VIII 

THE INTERNATIONAL UNIFORM LESSONS 

At present 1 the International Lesson Com- The Lesson 
mittee consists of an American section of fifteen Committee 
members and a British section of seventeen 
members. The latter is in a sense independent 
of the American section, though the present 
uniform lesson system is the product of the joint 
labors of both sections. A new lesson committee 
is chosen every six years at the alternate sessions 
of the International Sunday School Association, 
though members are, of course, eligible for re- 
election. The members of the committee are 
selected with great care and with reference to 
denominational and territorial representation. 

The first committee was instructed simply to The Plan 
select a list of lessons for a seven-year course, 
which was to include as far as possible a study 
of the whole Bible, alternating between the Old 
and New Testaments semiannually or quarterly, 
as the committee might deem best. It was re- 
quired to select only one lesson for the entire 
school. Since that time several important 
changes have come about. A uniform lesson 
for the entire school is still offered, though the 
list of lessons in this uniform series is now 
planned to cover the Bible in six, instead of as 
formerly in seven, years, that is, in two hundred 
and sixty- four lessons; twenty-four lessons of 
the three hundred and twelve in the series, or 

1 IQIO. 

71 



72 



The Graded Sunday School 



Graded 
Courses 



A Period of 
Transition 



Machinery of 
International 
Association 



four each year, being devoted to special temper- 
ance instruction, and the same number to general 
reviews. 

But by the side of this single uniform lesson a 
carefully graded course of Bible study with 
special lessons for various grades and ages has 
been gradually built up; and the New Interna- 
tional Graded Course, recently inaugurated under 
the auspices of the lesson committee chosen at 
Louisville (June, 1908), is the rich product of 
the long period of development through which 
Sunday-school instruction has been passing. 

No careful student of the subject can fail to 
note the very great improvement of the new 
system over the old, and the transition has pro- 
ceeded far more rapidly than even the most 
optimistic advocates of graded lesson courses had 
expected, especially inasmuch as the East and 
the West, the North and the South are seeking 
to keep step with each other in the advance. In- 
deed, it is to be questioned whether the progress 
all along the line in Sunday-school work could 
have been so rapid and marked but for the strong 
bond of union furnished by the uniform lesson 
with its attendant advantages, some of which 
have sometimes been overlooked by the critics of 
the uniform system. 

The machinery of the International Associa- 
tion, which is still far from being perfected 
even to-day, has necessarily appeared somewhat 
cumbersome and unwieldy to those who were in 
the forefront of the aggressive wing of the great 
Sunday-school army, and to those more especially 
who as experienced educators have sometimes 



International Uniform Lessons 73 

looked in vain for even an approximation to the 
recognized pedagogical principles in current Sun- 
day-school methods. Nevertheless, the machin- 
ery has had its advantages, and while slow of 
motion has proved effective in distributing the 
net resulting gain over a larger territory, and, in 
a measure at least, in bringing to the multitudes 
the advantages of the few. And while there 
are educational centers, and larger sections of 
the country as well, in which the average Sunday 
school makes a very poor showing in comparison 
with the public schools by which it is surrounded, 
there are other centers and districts where a 
similar comparison would perhaps not be wholly 
unfavorable to the Sunday school. 

Some of the so-called advantages of a uniform service of 
lesson for the whole school, for which the friends Uniform 
of the system long contended, were never ad- 
mitted to be such by others. Regarding the 
system in perspective, however, there are unde- 
niable services which it has rendered to the Sun- 
day-school movment as a whole. It may be said 
to have brought order out of chaos and to have 
substituted enthusiasm for indifference. It has 
fostered an interest in Bible reading and study, 
while its interdenominational scope and char- 
acter has done much toward lessening denomina- 
tional differences and developing a spirit of reli- 
gious tolerance and a consciousness of interde- 
nominational fellowship. It has given rise to 
a type of religious literature to which reference 
has already been made, but the significance and 
value of which has seldom been fully appreciated. 
The fact of uniformity permitted concentration 



74 



The Graded Sunday School 



Inherent 
Defects 



Center of 
Interest 



and made possible the production of a high grade 
of lesson periodicals at nominal cost. At the 
same time, the demands made upon the men 
in charge of the Sunday-school interests of the 
various Churches in regard to intellectual and 
educational qualifications are steadily increasing, 
while in point of salary the denominational Sun- 
day-school editor or secretary to-day ranks in 
most cases among the best paid of the general 
executive officers of his Church. These facts 
are a tribute to the present-day widespread and 
intelligent interest in Sunday-school work, which 
interest would be hard to conceive apart from the 
unity, cooperation, and enthusiasm which have 
characterized organized Sunday-school work in 
America since 1875, or without an adequate 
channel of communication between Sunday- 
school leaders and their vast constituencies 
which an extensive and splendid Sunday-school 
literature has furnished. Cooperation, enthusi- 
asm, and literature are, however, alike traceable 
in large measure to the unifying influence which 
the uniform lesson system has exerted. 

Having thus set forth somewhat at length the 
favorable aspects of the uniform lesson system, 
we turn now to a brief analysis of its inherent 
defects. 

The lessons of this system are selected on the 
basis of what in the estimation of its framers 
should constitute the subject-matter or material 
of Sunday-school instruction, and with a view 
to covering the whole Bible in a given period of 
years. The center of interest for the system lies 
in the Bible, the Churchy and the Sunday-school 



International Uniform Lessons 75 

organization itself, rather than in the children 
who are to be instructed. It offers the same 
lesson passage to all regardless of age or previous 
instruction. Children not yet able to read and 
write are given the prologue to the Gospel of 
John (lesson for January 5, 1908), selected pas- 
sages from the Acts and Epistles (lessons for 
1909), or equally difficult passages from the Old 
Testament (Lessons from the Minor Prophets, 
1911), because these must be included somewhere 
in the course, and because a uniform lesson for 
the whole school is considered essential. 

But this is contrary to every recognized prin- unpedagogicai 
ciple of child psychology and religious pedagogy, 
which alike insist on making the self -active, de- 
veloping child and his changing needs the start- 
ing point and the determining factor in the choice 
of the material of instruction. 

If, for example, we examine the International a concrete 
Lessons in the Gospel of John for the period Exam P le 
January to June, 1908, with a view to determin- 
ing their value for a class of boys from ten to 
twelve years of age, we must conscientiously take 
exception to such lessons as the following: 

January 5. The Word Made Flesh. John 1. 1-18. 
February 9. Jesus and the Woman of Samaria. John 

4. 1-42. 
March 8. Jesus the Bread of Life. John 6. 22-51. 
April 19. Jesus Anointed at Bethany. John 12. 1-11. 

and others of similarly mystical import. 

The difficulty is not that some valuable kernel other Material 
of truth cannot be culled from every one of these More Essential 
lessons, and clothed by skillful teachers in lan- 
guage suitable to the needs of boys of the ages 



7 6 The Graded Sunday School 

indicated. But boys pass through this particular 
and important period of life only once, and in the 
natural order and development of their whole 
religious and moral nature there are other things 
more essential for their consideration and study, 
and which if not mastered now can never again 
be acquired under such favorable conditions. 
The philosophical mysticism of John's Gospel, 
moreover, was never intended for children. 
Gospel of John As a matter of fact, it should be borne in mind 
Not intended that no part Q f the 3^ was wr i tten specially for 

for Children , „ , r _, . , , . r J . 

children, I his emphasizes the necessity for mak- 
ing selections from the Bible for the study by 
immature minds with much care, and on some 
other basis than that of a mechanical division of 
its total contents. In the Gospel of John the 
stories and incidents, the miracles and parables 
recorded are incidental to its chief aim and 
purpose, and if these are used with profit to 
younger pupils they must be studied wholly with- 
out relation to their connection with the consecu- 
tive narrative and the argument of the author, 
and therefore treated in a manner foreign to the 
purpose which they were intended originally to 
serve, and foreign also to the purpose which in 
connection with their context they should still 
serve with pupils of proper age. It is, of course, 
entirely proper to take these stories of miracles 
and other incidents and use them together with 
other material selected from other parts of the 
sacred volume in teaching children; but such 
use is quite another matter from a consecutive 
study of the whole Gospel for a period of six 
months or longer. 



International Uniform Lessons 



77 



Any superficial or awkward handling of this Depreciating 
heavy material, moreover, which fails to com- Fut " reValue 

i 1 i i 1 1 • r i r i of Material 

mand and hold the interest of a class of boys at 
this age, will tend to depreciate the value of this 
material for future use at the proper time. It is 
a recognized fact that the average attendance and 
order in boys' classes in many of our schools is 
a disgrace, to the Church, and such as would not 
be tolerated in public schools. But if this course 
of lessons is not suited for boys of from ten to 
twelve years, it is much less suited to pupils of 
still younger years, while to ask teachers in the 
Primary and Beginners Departments to teach a 
consecutive series of lessons from the Gospel of 
John, or from the Acts and the Epistles, is peda- 
gogically absurd. 

It may be profitable to glance for a moment at Lessons for 
the uniform series of lessons covering a period I ^° 6 - 11 
of six years — from 1906 to 191 1 : 



Jesus. 



Synopsis of Uniform Course, 1906-11 

1906. Jan.-Dec. Synoptic Words and Works 
Gospels. Harmony. 
One whole year. 

1907. Jan.-Dec. Patri- 
archs to Samuel as 
Judge. One year. 

1908. Jan.-June. Gospel 
according to Saint 
John. Six months. 

1908. July-Dec. Saul to 
Solomon. Six 
months. 



of 



Stories of the Patriarchs 
and Judges. 

The Witness of John to 
Jesus. 



1909. Jan.-Dec. Acts and 
Epistles. One year. 

1 9 10. Jan.-Dec. Gospel 
according to Saint 
Matthew. One year. 



The United Kingdom. 

(Saul, David, and Solo- 
mon.) 

Expansion of the Early 
Church. 

The Gospel of the King- 
dom. 



7» 



The Graded Sunday School 



Wrong in 
Principle of 
Selection 



Principle of 
Uniformity 
Wrong 



191 1. Jan.-Dec. Division 
of Kingdom. Cap- 
tivity and return. 
One year. 



Kings and Prophets of 
Judah and Israel (Kings 
to Malachi), 
or, 

Glory, Decline, and Res- 
toration of Israel. 

The entire series clearly takes no cognizance 
of the changing needs of the developing child life, 
being based entirely upon a consideration of the 
subject-matter or material of the course. But 
more closely examined the series is wrong even 
on this basis. If, for example, a boy of ten years 
entered in the Sabbath school in July, 1908, 
he began his study of the Bible with the History 
of the United Kingdom, Saul to Solomon, with- 
out having had the story of the patriarchs and 
of the earlier development of the Jewish nation, 
which, according to the present scheme, he would 
not be called upon to study until seven or eight 
years later, when he would have reached the age 
of seventeen or eighteen years, if indeed, the 
school should be so fortunate as to hold his con- 
tinued interest for that length of time. What 
sort of a consecutive knowledge of Old Testa- 
ment history a pupil may be supposed to acquire 
under such a system it is easy to infer. 

But the main objection to the uniform lesson 
system lies still deeper. The principle of uni- 
formity itself is wrong. Valuable as has been 
the system in preparing the way for something 
better, it no longer meets the needs of the situa- 
tion.- With the transfer of emphasis to the edu- 
cational aim and work of the Sunday school a 
change from uniform to graded lessons became 
imperative. 



International Uniform Lessons 79 

If the Sunday school is to be a school in fact a school in 
as well as in name, the course of Bible instruc- Fact 
tion which it offers must be based upon recog- 
nized pedagogical principles, and not on any 
logical scheme of mechanical uniformity, how- 
ever cleverly adapted to lessen its own inherent 
defects. 

It was inevitable that a radical change in system change of 
should come. That this change has come as soon System 
as it has, and that the transition from the old nevl a 
to the new is being accomplished with so little 
friction, is one of the things made possible by 
the system which is now giving way to a new and 
better curriculum of religious instruction for the 
whole school. It will be worth our while in 
the next chapter to consider some of the steps by 
which a graded course of study for the Sunday 
school came to be realized. 



IX 



Point of 
Departure 



Primary 
Teachers 
Union 



A Two-Year 
Course for 
Beginners 



STEPS TOWARD THE GRADED SYSTEM 

The point at which the need of specialized 
courses taking more adequate account of the age 
and resulting peculiar needs of the pupils was 
naturally felt first was in the Beginners and 
Primary Departments of the school. Fortunately 
for the Sunday schools, these have also been 
the departments for which it has been possible 
to enlist the services of trained teachers. Public- 
school kindergartners and Primary teachers are 
to be found in large numbers among the Primary 
superintendents and teachers of the Sunday 
school. 

As early as 1870 the Sunday School Primary 
Teachers Union was formed in Newark, New 
Jersey. In 1879 a National Primary Teachers 
Union was organized, giving way in 1887 to the 
International Primary Union of the United 
States and British Provinces. In 1896 this 
Union became a department of the International 
Sunday School Association, its constitution being 
amended to cover this new relation. 

To the effort and influence of this Union is 
largely due the fact that the Denver convention 
in 1902 formally authorized the preparation of a 
two-year course of lessons for Beginners that has 
since been in successful operation in a large num- 
ber of schools. This course has been excellent 
from the first and will not be changed in its 
essential features by the revision now in progress 
80 



Steps toward Graded System 8l 

in connection with the preparation of a graded 
course of lessons for the entire school. 

The Toronto convention (1905) instructed the An optional 
lesson committee to prepare an optional advanced Advanced 
course of Bible lessons for Senior pupils. The 
first course prepared by the committee was re- 
jected by denominational editors, and was with- 
drawn. A second one-year course on "The 
Ethical Teachings of Jesus" met with a more 
favorable reception and had a limited success. 
The third course (1908) was not very extensively 
used by denominational editors. This partial 
failure of the advanced courses prepared by the 
committee emphasized the fact that the logical 
and only practical method of procedure in build- 
ing a graded course of study for the entire school 
is from the bottom up, rather than from the top 
down. A really advanced course of lessons will 
be found generally available only when it follows 
in regular sequence upon a fully graded system 
of instruction, covering all ages from the Begin- 
ners to the Senior Department, and then only 
after such a system has been in operation suf- 
ficiently long to have prepared students for such 
advanced work. Until that time shall come the 
actual demand for strictly advanced courses will 
necessarily be limited. 

In the interim between the Toronto (1905) London 
and the Louisville (1908) conventions several conference 
important events transpired pointing to the prob- 
ability of an early radical change for the better 
in the Sunday-school lesson system as prepared 
under the auspices of the International Sunday 
School Association and its lesson committee. 



82 



The Graded Sunday School 



Lesson 
Committee 
Takes Action 



Boston 

Conference 



The first of these events was the London confer- 
ence of October 31 and November 1, 1906, called 
by the executive officers of the British Sunday 
School Union in response to the growing con- 
viction in England that the traditional methods 
which had prevailed in the Sabbath school thus 
far were unsatisfactory and would be inadequate 
to meet future needs of the Church in religious 
education. The personnel of this conference 
was noteworthy, including a number of biblical 
scholars and educators of great prominence. It 
was the consensus of opinion at this conference 
that the time had come to consider seriously the 
remodeling of the International Lesson System, 
bringing it more into line with modern needs in 
religious education. The conference therefore 
passed a resolution calling upon the International 
Lesson Committee to take up the discussion of 
this question. 

Following the action of the London conference 
came the joint meeting of the British and Ameri- 
can sections of the lesson committee of the In- 
ternational Sunday School Association (London, 
June 19-21, 1907). Until this meeting the 
British section of the lesson committee had been 
notable for its conservatism, but by the addi- 
tion of several eminent educators at this time it 
was suddenly changed from conservatism into 
an advocate of progress. Under the impulse of 
this new spirit the committee adopted resolutions 
declaring in favor of a scheme of graded lessons. 

Six months later Mr. W. N. Hartshorn, chair- 
man of the International Executive Committee, 
called a conference of American Sunday-school 



Courses 
Recommended 



Steps toward Graded System 83 

leaders, including editors, publishers, and secre- 
taries, to consider the advisability of certain 
recommendations to the International Sunday 
School Convention, which was to meet at Louis- 
ville in June of the following year. The confer- 
ence met at Boston, January 1 and 2, 1908. 

The action taken by this Boston conference Graded 
with reference to graded courses of study for the 
Sunday school is stated in the second of two 
resolutions adopted, as follows: 

Resolved, That the need of a graded system of lessons 
is expressed by so many Sunday schools and workers 
that it should be adequately met by the International 
Sunday School Association, and that the lesson com- 
mittee should be instructed by the next International 
Convention to continue the preparation of a thoroughly 
graded course, covering the entire range of the Sunday 
school. 

This resolution, it is true, was prefaced by uniform 
another, commending the old system of uniform 
lessons, and recommending its continuance, in 
the following words : 

Resolved, That the system of a general lesson for the 
whole school, in successful use for thirty-five years, is 
still the most practicable and effective system for 
the majority of Sunday schools in North America. 
Because of its vast accomplishments, its present use- 
fulness, and its future possibilities, we recommend its 
continuance and its fullest development. 

The resolutions as adopted by the Boston con- compromise 
ference were clearly a compromise, and left much 
to be desired. Graded lessons were provided for 
as a concession to a popular demand that could 
no longer be ignored; whereas, their importance 
and superiority over the one-lesson system would 
seem to have warranted at least their more hearty 



Lesson also 
Commended 



8 4 



The Graded Sunday School 



Elementary 
Workers 
Outline 
Courses 



indorsement, if not their recommendation as pre- 
eminently the more desirable system for every 
school. As adopted the resolutions revealed the 
fact that the leaders of the International Sunday 
School Association were not yet fully persuaded 
that a graded curriculum was both desirable and 
feasible. The principle, however, being conceded 
and provision for its testing made, it was only a 
question of time until graded courses of in- 
struction when once introduced should demon- 
strate their superiority and value. 

Meanwhile a committee of elementary teachers 
and experts, working in cooperation with several 
of the denominational Sunday-school depart- 
ments, and with the American section of the 
lesson committee, had been quietly at work out- 
lining a three-year graded course for the Primary 
and a four-year course for the Junior Depart- 
ment, as well as revising the two-year Beginners 
course adopted in 1902. These courses were 
submitted to leading denominational Sunday- 
school editors for criticism, and to the lesson 
committee for their final revision and approval. 
The lesson committee was prompt to recognize 
the merit of the courses outlined, and to make the 
work of this voluntary subcommittee its own by 
formal adoption. Much of the credit for the 
splendid work done by this group of elementary 
workers is due to the chairman and guiding spirit 
of the subcommittee, Mrs. J. Woodbridge 
Barnes, for many years the Primary superin- 
tendent of the International Sunday School Asso- 
ciation, and subsequently one of the editors of 
the new International Graded Lessons. 



Steps toward Graded System 85 

But this sketch of the growth of the movement independent 

toward graded instruction in the Sunday school Ex P erimenta - 

111 1 .1 f < tion 

would not be complete without a reference to the 

pioneer work done by individual churches in dif- 
ferent parts of the country. From Maine to 
California, and from Florida to Puget Sound, 
the growing interest in better and more syste- 
matic religious training was manifest in inde- 
pendent experimentation upon a larger or smaller 
scale. Individual schools abandoned the Inter- 
national uniform lessons, and constructed courses 
of Bible study for their own use, or adopted text- 
books issued by enterprising publishers who en- 
deavored to supply the demand of these more 
progressive schools. 

By far the most conspicuous and influential of The 
these independent efforts to establish a better '' Blakeslee " 
order of things in Sunday-school work had been 
that inaugurated as early as 1892 by the late Rev. 
Erastus Blakeslee, D.D., under the name of Bible 
Study Union Lessons. Among the organizers 
and earnest supporters of the Bible Study Union 
which gave its name to the new system were 
Bishop Brooks, Professor W. R. Harper of 
Yale (later President Harper of Chicago), Dr. 
Lyman Abbott, and other prominent clergymen 
and educators. The "Blakeslee" lessons, as they 
are more popularly known, soon attained a wide 
circulation, and their success has been a recog- 
nized factor in bringing about recent radical 
changes in the International Lesson System. To 
Dr. Blakeslee will always belong the credit of 
having been a pioneer in the field of graded Sun- 
day-school instruction. The Bible Study Union 



tional 
Initiative 



86 The Graded Sunday School 

System which he inaugurated is described in 
another chapter. 1 
Denomina- Several Protestant denominations, notably the 

Protestant Episcopal and certain branches of the 
Lutheran Church, through their various diocesan 
and synodical organizations offered to their own 
constituencies courses of Sunday-school instruc- 
tion other and in some respects better than the 
International uniform series. Some of the lead- 
ing denominations among those supporting the 
International system took definite steps looking 
toward the launching of thoroughly graded 
courses in the event of failure on the part of the 
organized international Sunday-school forces to 
take prompt action in the matter. This attitude 
and action on the part of separate denominations, 
together with the independent experimentation of 
individual schools, was among the most potent 
influences in bringing about the change in the 
International system itself. To some of the 
courses and text-books prepared under the stimu- 
lus of this local and denominational initiative we 
shall have occasion to refer more at length in our 
discussion of the Graded Sunday School in 
Practice, in the concluding part of this volume. 
It remains in the present chapter only to speak 
briefly of two organizations, each of which in its 
way has contributed largely to the spread of 
intelligent interest in systematic religious instruc- 
tion and to creating a demand for a graded course 
of study for the Sunday school. 

The organization which in recent years and 
outside the narrower circle of strictly Sunday- 

» Chapter XIV. 



Steps toward Graded System &J 

school forces has contributed most to the fur- Regions 
thering of the educational ideal in religious train- Association 
ing is the Religious Education Association. This 
Association was organized in Chicago, in Febru- 
ary, 1903, at the close of a three-day convention 
or conference called to consider the importance 
of moral and religious education. The threefold 
purpose of the Association is stated as follows : 

To inspire the educational forces of our country Object 
with the religious ideal; to inspire the religious forces 
of our country with the educational ideal; and to keep 
before the public mind the ideal of Religious Educa- 
tion, and the sense of its need and value. 

This object the Association seeks to accom- Methods 
plish by means of ( 1 ) Annual conventions of na- 
tional scope for the discussions of problems 
relating to moral and religious education, and for 
the stimulation and directing of public opinion, 
and for conferences of workers ; (2) Conferences 
under the auspices of state organizations, guilds, 
and departments for discussion and local stimu- 
lation; (3) Publications, including the volumes 
of proceedings of the national conventions, a 
monthly journal, "Religious Education," and an 
extensive leaflet and pamphlet literature; (4) 
Departmental organization, covering many as- 
pects of the general problem, including a de- 
partment on Sunday schools. 

The general study of a curriculum for Sunday commission of 
schools, its principles, methods, and material has Twenty-one 
been consigned by the National Religious Educa- 
tional Association to a Commission of twenty- 
one members. This Commission meets from 
time to time for discussion, and is gradually 



88 



The Graded Sunday School 



Sunday School 

Editorial 

Association 



shaping a report which, when completed, will 
doubtless exercise a wide influence. This is the 
first attempt made by the Religious Education 
Association to reach a complete scientific verdict 
on the subject of a course of study. It is not 
intended as a basis for published lessons, for the 
Religious Education Association does not under- 
take such publication, but as a kind of guide 
or standard. The Commission is composed of 
a carefully selected group of workers including 
many of the most prominent specialists in the 
field of religious pedagogy. In point of personnel 
it is perhaps the strongest commission of its kind 
in existence. 

The Association has succeeded in enlisting the 
cooperation of many prominent laymen, college 
and university presidents, pastors, and teachers 
interested and actively engaged in the solution 
of the problems of reverent, scientific, effective 
character building. The influence of the Asso- 
ciation has been felt in the church and Sunday 
school, as well as in more general educational 
circles, in the stimulation of interest in the objects 
for which it stands. Its indirect influence upon 
Sunday-school instruction has been in line with 
that of other forces working toward the intro- 
duction of graded courses. 

Another organization the influence of which 
in the movement toward graded courses of in- 
struction for the Sunday school has been marked 
is the Sunday School Editorial Association, more 
recently merged with the newly organized Sun- 
day School Council of Evangelical Denomina- 
tions. The Association included in its member- 



Steps toward Graded System 



8 9 



Evangelical 
Denominations 



ship in the neighborhood of one hundred editors, 
writers, and publishers of books, periodicals, and 
other "helps" bearing on the International Sun- 
day School Lessons. It held annual meetings for 
the discussion of plans of mutual cooperation in 
the improvement and the extension of the influ- 
ence of Sunday-school literature. 

The efficiency of the work of the Editorial As- Sunday school 
sociation suggested to various denominational council of 
Sunday-school leaders the advantage of a still 
closer official affiliation in interdenominational 
Sunday-school work, and led finally to the forma- 
tion of the Sunday School Council of Evangel- 
ical Denominations. Representatives of the Sun- 
day-school departments of a number of the most 
prominent evangelical churches met for prelimi- 
nary organization in Philadelphia, June 30 to 
July 1, 1 910. The organization was completed 
in Philadelphia in October, 1910. 

The object of the Council is to advance the Sun- 
day-school interests of the cooperating denomi- 
nations (1) by conferring together in matters of 
common interest; (2) by giving expressions to 
common views and decisions; and (3) by co- 
operative action in matters concerning educa- 
tional, editorial, missionary, and publishing ac- 
tivities. The membership of the Council in- 
cludes (a) general, executive and departmental 
secretaries or superintendents of Sunday-school 
work; (b) editors of denominational Sunday- 
school literature and their editorial assistants; 
(c) denominational publishers of Sunday-school 
literature and their assistants; and (d) additional 
representatives appointed by cooperating boards, 



Object, 
Membership 



go 



The Graded Sunday School 



Plan of 
Work 



New Courses 
Authorized 



conventions, or councils. More than twenty 
churches are represented in the membership. 

The work of the Council is done in four sepa- 
rate sections: Educational, Editorial, Extension, 
and Publication. Each section selects its own 
officers, but plans of work proposed or action 
taken by any one section is subject to approval 
and revision by the Council as a whole. The 
Council meets in annual session to review the 
work of committees and sections and to con- 
sider larger plans and methods of cooperative 
work. The new organization thus gives promise 
of becoming one of the most important factors in 
shaping the future Sunday-school policy for the 
Protestant churches of North America. 

The International Sunday School Convention 
meeting at Louisville, Kentucky, in June, 1908, 
finally authorized and ordered the preparation 
of a graded course of instruction for the whole 
school. The International Lesson Committee, 
in carrying out the instructions of the Con- 
vention, availed itself of the work which had 
already been begun by efficient groups of Pri- 
mary, Junior, and Intermediate specialists, thus 
placing the seal of its approval upon the work 
of these progressive departmental leaders in the 
Sunday-school field. The cooperation of the 
Lesson Committee with these departmental work- 
ers, made possible the prompt issuance in outline 
of a graded course of instruction covering all 
grades from the Beginners to the Senior depart- 
ments of the school. 



PART THREE 

THE GRADED SUNDAY SCHOOL IN 
PRACTICE 



91 



THREE UNIVERSITY SCHOOLS 



Much of the inspiration leading to the intro- university 
duction into American Sunday schools of better Leadership 
courses of instruction and better methods of 
teaching has come from university centers. 
Prominent educators, members of the facul- 
ties of Clark, Columbia (Teachers College), Chi- 
cago, Yale, and Northwestern Universities, the 
Southern Baptist and Union Theological Semi- 
naries, the Hartford School of Religious Peda- 
gogy, and other institutions of higher learning, 
have long been constructive critics of the Inter- 
national system of Sunday-school instruction. 
While in many cases these educational leaders 
have mercilessly arraigned and condemned the 
older system and methods, they have not failed at 
the same time to point out the way to something 
better. This they have done both in able theoreti- 
cal discussions of the problems dealing with reli- 
gious and moral education, and with the modern 
Sunday school and its curriculum, and in actual 
experimentation in Sunday schools organized 
and conducted along lines in harmony with the 
principles of modern pedagogy. 

For a list of the more important books which Bibliography 
have resulted from this professional and scholarly 
leadership in the Sunday school the reader is 
referred to the references in connection with sep- 
arate chapters of Part I of this volume, and to 
93 



94 



The Graded Sunday School 



Three Model 
Schools 



Unique 
Features 



the fuller Bibliography which appears in the 
Appendix. 

Among the Sunday schools in which graded 
curricula have been in actual successful operation 
sufficiently long and under sufficiently competent 
leadership to entitle them to recognition as model 
experimental schools, three have been perhaps 
more in the public eye than others. These are the 
Sunday schools connected with Teachers Col- 
lege, 1 Columbia University, New York city, and 
the Hyde Park Baptist and University Congre- 
gational Schools, both closely in touch with the 
University of Chicago. 

MODEL SUNDAY SCHOOL AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 

The Model Sunday School 1 at Columbia Uni- 
versity is unique in several important particulars : 
(i) It has exceptional facilities for its work, 
meeting as it does in the classrooms and chapel of 
Teachers College, the university school of peda- 
gogy. (2) The school is not connected with any 
church organization, its management and direc- 
tion being in the hands of an executive committee 
elected by the parents of the children attending. 
This executive committee in turn engages the 
teachers and appoints supervisors to formulate 
the course of study. (3) The acting principal, 
the supervisors, and the chairman of the execu- 
tive committee are all specialists in the field of 
education, being either members of the college 
faculty or instructors in education. The teaching 
force also is composed entirely of men and 
women who have had a thorough professional 

1 Since October, 1910, meets in new buildings of Union Theo- 
logical Seminary, affiliated with Columbia Uni versity . See page 125. 



Three University Schools 95 

training. Some of these are graduate students 
at the university, while others are teachers in 
public and private schools in New York city. 
(4) The class of pupils is select, the homes repre- 
sented being homes of culture and refinement, 
and for the most part of wealth. An annual 
tuition fee of fifteen dollars for each pupil ex- 
cludes many who would otherwise attend. 

In several of the features just noted the school Model in 
is really not a model school at all, in the sense of Limited sense 
being a pattern which schools generally might be 
expected to follow. Nowhere except in connec- 
tion with a college or university could the same 
facilities, teaching force, and constituency be 
secured. Nor would the existence of the Bible 
school, independent of direct church control, seem 
to present the ideal situation or condition under 
which systematic religious instruction should be 
given. 

The fact, however, that the direct supervision under Expert 
of the school is in the hands of recognized ped- supervision 
agogical experts of the highest rank makes it 
worth our while to examine somewhat more care- 
fully both the curriculum and the methods of 
work employed. The educational principles, 
moreover, on which the work of the school con- 
sidered as formal instruction or teaching pro- 
ceeds, if sound, must prove universally valid and 
applicable. 

A recognized principle of modern pedagogy is seif- 
that of self-expression, especially in elementary Expression; 
schools. It is the manual method by which con- M e"ho ds 
tent and form are given to self-expression. The 
pupil is to learn by doing, that is, by expressing 



Curriculum 



96 The Graded Sunday School 

in some concrete way the ideas which he has and 
those which he is endeavoring to acquire or to 
more thoroughly master. The teacher, instead 
of simply imparting knowledge by word of 
mouth, or by means of book instruction — which 
alike permit the pupil to remain to a large degree 
passive and content to imitate and to absorb by 
memory processes — seeks rather to stimulate the 
pupil to constructive effort, permitting his natural 
talent to be developed in the process of discover- 
ing and framing for himself a given fact, prin- 
ciple, or truth. Hence the hand is employed as 
far as possible in expressing what a child is en- 
gaged in learning. 
Graded This fundamental principle of self-expression 

finds its counterpart in another principle, namely, 
that the ideas projected in manual work must be 
ideas which it is natural for the child at a given 
age to frame or to express, or, in other words, 
that the subject-matter of instruction must be 
suited to the age of the pupil. And as the 
principle of self-expression demands for its reali- 
zation the manual method of instruction, so 
this second principle demands for its realization 
the scientifically graded curriculum. But both of 
these principles, if correct, are of necessity as 
valid in the realm of religious instruction as in 
that of secular education, as important for 
teachers in the Sunday school as for teachers in 
the day school. For these two educational prin- 
ciples, then, the Model Sunday School at Colum- 
bia University stands, and it remains for us to 
illustrate how they are carried out in the actual 
practice of the school. 



Three University Schools 97 

The subject-matter of the curriculum is The 
grouped under three heads, namely: I. Religious curriculum 
literature; II. Biblical history; III. Church 
history. 

The work in the Kindergarten falls entirely The 
under the first of these heads and consists of the Ktader e arten 
presentation of Bible and other stories, memory 
work in Bible passages, songs, hymns, and poems. 
Object lessons and manual work accompany the 
presentation of the stories, which are selected 
with reference to their historical setting or 
chronological order. 

In Grade I, consecutive stories of Jesus, his The 
life and works are added, forming the beginning ^ ei ^ entar y 
of the work in biblical history. In Grade II, (i-vni) 
the first work in church history is introduced in 
the form of stories about modern foreign mis- 
sions. The biblical literature work in Grades 
I-VI inclusive consists largely of memory work 
for which selected psalms and proverbs, texts 
and hymns furnish the material. Other Bible 
passages are read, the selections being made by the 
teacher. The Bible history work for these grades 
comprises, in addition to selected stories, consecu- 
tive narratives from the life of Jesus and stories 
of the earlier prophets, patriarchs, and New 
Testament characters (especially Paul). With 
the stories of the patriarchs, which are introduced 
in Grades II and III, the study of the history of 
Israel begins. This study continues through 
Grade VI. Work in church history in these 
grades (II-VI) is confined to a study of modern 
missions by countries, this study being chiefly 
biographical. In Grades VII and VIII the study 



9 8 



The Graded Sunday School 



High-School 
Department 



Graduate 
Department 



in biblical literature takes up the teachings of 
Jesus; the life of Jesus as a consecutive study 
at the same time forms the subject-matter for the 
work in biblical history. The teaching and life 
of Jesus are followed by studies in the lives and 
the teaching of Paul and the other apostles. 

In the High-school grades (IX-XII) this study 
in New Testament teaching and character is 
continued in the religious history and biblical 
literature work respectively. In the second and 
third grades of the High school (X and XI), the 
study of manuscripts and versions and of biblical 
masterpieces from both the Old and New Testa- 
ments is added. The biblical history work of 
the High-school section, in addition to the study 
of the life of Paul and the other apostles, con- 
tinued from the preceding course, includes the 
history of religion within the Bible, together with 
its historical parallels. The church history for 
the High-school grades takes up in the first year 
the study of the early Church to the time of 
Saint Augustine; in the second year the subse- 
quent church history in outline through the period 
of the Reformation, and in the third year the 
later history of the Church, with special emphasis 
on the work of Whitefield and Wesley. 

Provision has been made in the curriculum for 
graduate work, following the work of the High- 
school grades, and consisting largely of elective 
courses in which single books of the Bible are 
critically studied and compared with other reli- 
gious masterpieces. A larger literary study of 
the whole Bible, together with work in New 
Testament Greek, is provided for. This work 



Three University Schools 99 

is a continuation of the work under the head of 
religious literature. The biblical history work 
gives place in the Graduate Department to work 
in "Theory and Practice/' comprising courses in 
Christian evidences, pagan religions, church 
benevolences and charities, Sunday-school teach- 
ing and personal work. The church history work 
of this department consists of the more thorough 
study of both church history and the history of 
missions by periods, and also the history of 
theology. 

UNIVERSITY CONGREGATIONAL SCHOOL, CHICAGO 

The University Congregational School of complete 
Hyde Park, Chicago, has for several years past Course 
had in full operation a course of moral and reli- 
gious training extending over twenty-one years, 
and including the following departments: 

Kindergarten Department, ages, 4 and 5 ; 
Primary Department, ages, 6-9; 
Intermediate Department, ages, 10-13, 

together constituting the Elementary 

School, and, 
High-School Department, ages, 14—17; 
College Department, ages, 18-21; 
Graduate Department, ages, 22-24. 

Two classes for adults are maintained, but the 
chief interest of those in charge of the school is 
in pupils still within the recognized educational 
period of life, from four to twenty-five years. 

This departmental classification differs some- Essential 
what from that employed in other schools, and Feature 
from the scheme proposed in Chapter VII. In 
its most essential feature, however, it agrees 
not only with the scheme we have suggested, but 



lOO The Graded Sunday School 

also with that of every other thoroughly graded 
school as well. This most essential feature in 
which all thoroughly graded courses agree is 
the unity of the course from beginning to end, 
without cycle or spiral feature, every year's work 
marking educational advance, and being essen- 
tial to the normal religious development of the 
pupil. 
The course of The scope and subject-matter of the course as 
study a w hole, and the sequence of thought and aim, 

are indicated in the titles of the separate courses 
for each department. Thus the Kindergarten 
course of two years "aims to implant the first 
principles of goodness." In the first year Les- 
sons in Love (kindness) constitute the main 
work; in the second year, Lessons in Obedience. 
The Primary course "aims to establish right ideas 
of the natural world and of human life." The 
separate yearly courses deal with "God the 
Creator," "Nature Obeying God," "God the Lov- 
ing Father," and "God's Will for Us." 
Aims In the Intermediate the aim is "to establish 

true ideals, leading to personal religion and 
church membership." In the High-school De- 
partment the work is planned to give the pupils 
a connected knowledge of Bible history, cover- 
ing the chief events of the Old and New Testa- 
ment periods. The College Department offers 
courses in Christian activities, practical ethics, 
religion and theology, while in the Graduate De- 
partment the aim is "to enlarge the knowledge, 
appreciation, and practice of Christianity, and of 
the nature and obligation of religion and moral- 
ity." This is done by means of elective courses 



The University Schools 101 

suited to the needs and preferences of the respec- 
tive class groups. 

The Sunday-school year begins in September certificates, 
and ends in June. The completion of the Ele- Di P lomas > 
mentary school work is made an important life 
experience, and a certificate of graduation is 
given. Upon the completion of the High School 
course a diploma is awarded, and upon the com- 
pletion of the College and Graduate courses re- 
spectively suitable degrees are awarded. 

HYDE PARK BAPTIST SUNDAY SCHOOL, CHICAGO 

The Hyde Park Baptist Sunday School, like An 
the two preceding, has a thoroughly graded course Ex P erimental 
of study. For a number of years past this school 
has served as an experimental station, in which 
a number of prominent educators, members of 
the faculty of Chicago University and others, 
have put to the test of actual practice certain 
theories with regard to graded religious instruc- 
tion. 

The classes of this school are grouped in three organization, 
main divisions — Elementary, Secondary, and officers 
Adult. The general officers include, in addition 
to those customary in most schools, a Director of 
Instruction, a Director of Spiritual Life, a Di- 
rector of Benevolence, an Examiner, and Divi- 
sion Principals. In the hands of these officers 
and their assistants lies the work of overseeing 
the grading and educational progress of the 
school. 

The Elementary Division of the school com- Elementary 
prises a Kindergarten, three Primary classes, Dlvlslon 
and an Intermediate class. The Kinder- 



102 The Graded Sunday Schools 

garten Department holds its sessions from 9:30 
to 12 o'clock a. m. The lessons for this depart- 
ment are prepared and taught by a trained 
kindergartner with competent assistants. Parents 
who desire to leave their young children in this 
department during church service are encour- 
aged to do so. The Primary Department meets 
from 9:30 to 10:45 A - M v an d provides for chil- 
dren in grades numbered from 1 to 3 inclusive. 
General lessons taught by the superintendent are 
supplemented by special class instruction. The 
Intermediate Class (Grade 4) meets simul- 
taneously with the Primary Department, and in- 
cludes pupils of the fourth grade. The comple- 
tion of the prescribed course of study for this 
grade leads to promotion to the Secondary Di- 
vision, a certificate being awarded on such pro- 
motion. 
Secondary The Secondary Division of the school com- 

prises grades 5-12 inclusive (pupils of Grammar 
School and High School ages), and meets from 
9:45 to 10:50 a. m. Promotion follows the 
completion of a prescribed course of study for 
each grade. In this division class work in indi- 
vidual classrooms begins promptly at 9 45 A. m., 
the general assembly exercises occurring during 
the closing twenty-five minutes of the session 
period, from 10:25 to 10:50 a. m. The course 
of study for this division includes studies in the 
life of Jesus, the patriarchs, kings, and prophets, 
the Gospel of Mark (a type study), the history 
of Christianity, the apostolic age, and in the gen- 
eral introduction to the Bible. 

In the Adult Division of the school classes of 



Division 



The University Schools I03 

men and women, some of them organized, are Adult 
engaged in lines of study of special interest to the Division 
particular class group. The work includes the 
consideration of a wider range of selected studies. 

THE UNION SCHOOL OF RELIGION 

With the completion of the splendid group of Succeeds 
buildings of Union Theological Seminary on its P^ 1 " 8 
new site adjoining the property of Teachers 
College and Columbia University, New York 
city, the Sunday school which for seven years 
had been conducted at Teachers College was 
transferred to Union Seminary. The school is 
now a "free school," there being no charge ex- 
cept the nominal admission fee of fifty cents to 
cover in part the expense of lesson material. 

The course of study of the school is in process Special 
of reconstruction under the supervision of the Features 
Department of Practical Theology in the Semi- 
nary. The new course, when completed, will be 
among the very best in use anywhere. The sev- 
eral classrooms are splendidly furnished and 
equipped. Among the features worthy of special 
mention are the march to and from the chapel 
with the singing of appropriate processional and 
recessional hymns, and the emphasis of the school 
upon different forms of Christian activity. 
Christmas is celebrated by generously providing 
for the needs of poor children in a nearby day 
nursery. The money collected each Sunday is 
used for helping others as the several classes in 
consultation with their teachers may determine. 



XI 



OTHER TYPICAL SCHOOLS 

TEMPLE EMANU-EL SCHOOL OF RELIGIOUS 
INSTRUCTION 

Thoroughness Among the increasing number of schools in 
and Efficiency w hich modern educational principles are being 
made the basis of both curriculum and method 
of teaching, the School of Religious Instruc- 
tion connected with the Reformed Jewish Syna- 
gogue, Temple Emanu-El, New York city, occu- 
pies a position second, perhaps, to none in point 
of thoroughness and efficiency. It is a school in 
fact as well as in name, and is accomplishing 
results of which its patrons and executive officers 
may well be proud. 

The school meets on Sunday morning, from 
ten to twelve o'clock. The first half hour is de- 
voted to general exercises conducted in the as- 
sembly hall, and consisting of prayers, hymns, 
reading from Scripture, and an address by one 
of the rabbis or the principal. Then follow two 
recitation periods of from thirty-five to forty 
minutes each, after which the school again as- 
sembles for a brief closing service of responses, 
prayer, and benediction. 
Department The school proper is divided into six grades, 

Adjuncts or twelve classes — boys and girls being taught 

separately. In addition to these there are a 
Primary Department and a graduate class. As 
important adjuncts to the work of the school may 
be mentioned the Bible class for adults, meeting 
104 



Two-Hour 
Session 



Other Typical Schools 



105 



on Friday afternoons, the special teachers' class 
for the study of Hebrew, and the monthly teach- 
ers' conferences for the discussion of problems 
of discipline, conduct, and educational policy. 

The course of study proper, comprising six Age Limits 
years, from approximately nine to fourteen, is 
divided into grade units of one year, each grade 
in turn providing separate classes for boys and 
girls. The grades are numbered from one to six, 
beginning with the highest, which is called Grade 
I. The grades with the corresponding age limits 
are therefore as follows : 



Primary, ages 6-8 
Grade VI, ages 8- 9 
Grade V, ages 9—10 
Grade IV, ages 10-11 
Grade III, ages 11-12 
Grade II, ages 12-13 
Grade I, ages 13—14 



There are two classes 
in each grade, boys and 
girls being taught sepa- 
rately. 



The school year begins with September and confirmation 
ends with the last Sunday in May. Special con- Classes 
firmation classes are formed early in December. 
These classes meet on Tuesday afternoons, from 
four to five o'clock, and are taught by the min- 
ister. In order to be admitted to these classes 
children must have attained the age of fourteen 
years and be members of Grade I in the Sunday 
school. They must also have been pupils in the 
school for at least two consecutive years prior to 
confirmation. 

A distinction is made between moral and reli- Moral and 
gious instruction. The object of the entire in- 
struction as stated in the Year Book for 1909 is: 

To develop the hearts of the children and to awaken 
in them a moral sentiment, thereby contributing to 



Religious 
Instruction 



Ip6 The Graded Sunday School 

the formation of character. This is accomplished, 
first, by a study of biblical stories with especial refer- 
ence to the moral principles involved; second, by 
memorizing a graded series of biblical texts, referring 
to our moral duties; third, by inculcating the Ten 
Commandments with appropriate explanations, and, 
fourth, by practical work, in acts of kindness and 
charity. 

This work constitutes what the educational 
committee of the school designates "moral in- 
struction." The more specific religious instruc- 
tion given consists in the study of the origin and 
significance of Jewish ceremonies and festivals, 
and the principal tenets of the Jewish faith. In 
the confirmation classes a fuller exposition of the 
Jewish faith and practice is given, with a view 
to preparing the pupils for their duties as mem- 
bers of the Jewish congregation and community. 
Course of The character and scope of the training re- 

study ceived by the pupils will be evident from a brief 

examination of the course of study. 

Summary of Course of Study 
Oral Class 

(Kindergarten) . Bible stories and episodes — selected. 
Class VI. Abraham to the death of Moses. 

Class V. Joshua and Judges. 

Class IV. Kings and division of the kingdom. 

Class III. Complete review of all preceding 

periods, including critical study of 
the early narratives of Genesis. 
New pupils, of advanced age, just 
entering school are to be admitted 
into this class. 
Class II. Babylonian captivity to the dis- 

covery of America. 
Class I. From 1492 to present day. 

Biographical studies. 
Readings from famous Jewish 

authors. 
Literary study of parts of the Bible. 



Other Typical Schools I07 

The thoroughness of the work done in class Teacher's 

instruction will be seen from the following out- ? ut |J n ^ 
line of the work for the second grade, prepared 
by the teacher and printed for use by the pupils : 

Teacher's Outline, Class II (Girls) 

I. LIFE IN BABYLON 

i. Cause of downfall of Jerusalem, direct and indirect, 
f Jehoiakim, 

2. Three deportations:^ Zedekiah, 

t After Gedaliah's death. 

3. Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar. (a) Geography; 

(b) Civilization; (c) Manners and customs; 
(d) Effect upon civilization of times. 

4. Condition of Jews in Babylon. Effect of suf- 

fering. Psalm 137. 

5. Religious activity in Babylon, (a) Judaism not 

a religion of location. Can exist outside a 
temple, (b) Beginnings of synagogue. Ritual 
formed, (c) Effect of study of accessible litera- 
ture of Torah and Prophets. 

II. THE RESTORATION 

i. Babylonian persecution. Isaiah 53. 

2. Isaiah of Babylon. Prophecy. "God will choose 

a heathen instrument as a means of return." 

3. Persian conquest. (a) Cyrus; (b) Geography 

of Persia; (c) Religion; (d) Manners and 
customs. 

4. Restoration. 536 B. C. (a) Period of life in Baby- 

lon; (b) Lessons learned by the Jew; (c) Cy- 
rus's reason for permitting return. 

5. First return. Psalms of Degrees, (a) Compare 

first exodus to Palestine with second exodus 
to Palestine; (b) Course of journey followed 
in each case; (c) Difference in character of 
people; (d) Moses, Zerubbabel; (e) Condition 
of Palestine; (f) The rebuilding of the temple. 

6. The Samaritans, (a) Locate province and city; 

(b) Origin; (c) Sanballat; (d) Mount Gerizim. 

7. Haggai. 

8. Second return, (a) Ezra the scribe; (b) Nehe- 

miah the layman. 



lo8 The Graded Sunday School 

III. LITERARY LABORS 

i. The Pentateuch, (a) Books of arrangement; 

(b) Subject-matter. Period of time covered; 

(c) Value to exiles. 

The Prophets, (a) Books, arrangement; (b) 
Subject-matter. Period of time covered. 

The Hagiographa. (a) Books, arrangement; 
(b) Kinds of books. 

2. Canon. Compilation. When completed. Lan- 

guage. 

3. Midrash. Origin. Oral Law. 

4. Targum. (a) Sopherim; (b) Canon; (c) Syna- 

gogue. 

5. Great assembly, (a) Origin; (b) Work; (c) Ef- 

fect. 

6. Council of seventy, (a) Origin; (b) Work; (c) Ef- 

fect. 

7. Sanhedrin. (a) Origin; (b) Work; (c) Effect; 

(d) Membership; (e) Cause of its abolishment; 
(f) Comparison with other courts. 

IV. GREEK, EGYPTIAN, AND HOME RULE 

i. Rise of Greece. Alexander the Great, (a) Geog- 
raphy; (b) Manners and Customs; (c) Re- 
ligion. 

2. Conquest of Palestine. (a) Effect upon Jew 

politically; (b) Hellenism: its good and 
bad effect upon the Jew as a Jew and as a 
citizen. 

3. The three Jewish Colonies: Palestine, Babylon, 

and Egypt. 

4. The Ptolemies. Attitude toward the Jews. 

5. Alexandria. 

6. Septuagint. 

7. The High Priest, (a) The office — what it stood 

for; (b) Its establishment (Aaron); (c) Duties 
of the priest; (d) The Levites, forty- two cities; 

(e) Work in the sanctuary. 

8. The Rabbi of to-day. (a) Relation of layman 

and priest; (b) Great synagogue. 

9. Jaddua. 

10. Simon the Just II, B. C. 219. (a) Biographical 

sketch; (b) Work; (c) Sayings; (d) Benefits 
to Jerusalem; (e) Tribute of Ben Sirach. 

11. Office, and its relation to governing powers from 

Cyrus to Titus. 



Other Typical Schools I09 

The type of examinations given and something Examination 
as to the scope and exacting character of the Q ue s tlons > 
graduation requirements may be seen from the 
appended list of questions : 

Examination Questions 
Graduating Class (May, 1900) 

1. Into what periods would you divide the post- 
biblical Jewish history? Give a short characterization 
of each period. 

2. What are the great literary monuments of the 
Rabbinical schools? State the method and influence 
of some of these schools. 

3. Name the chief philosophers and poets of the 
Middle Ages; state their principal works and describe 
two or three briefly. 

4. Give the direct causes which led to the "Disper- 
sion of Israel." 

5. Give the circumstances attending the readmission 
of the Jews into England. 

6. Whom would you consider the three greatest 
Jews who lived after the eleventh century ? State how 
their lives influenced the people. 

7. What were the causes that led to the gradual 
emancipation of the Jews? 

8. Give a short biographical sketch and the works 
of the "German Plato." 

9. What do you know of the early settlements of 
the Jews in America? 

10. Give the divisions of the Bible and the books 
under each division. 

11. What does Judaism teach regarding the nature 
of God, of the universe, and of man? 

12. (a) What is our attitude toward those of another 
faith? (b) What is our attitude toward those of our 
own faith, but with whom we differ in practice ? 

In order to obtain thoroughly competent and Teachers 
trained teachers it is required that each teacher be Trained and 
a trained educator, actually engaged in that pro- 
fession, grounded in the subjects to be taught, 
and a member of the Jewish faith. To insure 
thorough discipline on the part of the teachers 



1 lO The Graded Sunday School 



Building; 
Equipment 



School 
Committee 



Grading 



voluntary service has been abandoned. This 
makes it possible to insist upon punctilious at- 
tendance and observance of the rules of the school. 

The school at present is housed in the base- 
ment of the synagogue, not the most congenial 
or best adapted place for a graded school to 
meet. The floor space, however, is quite ample, 
and has been divided up into suitable classrooms, 
which are grouped about a central assembly hall. 
The rooms are in part artificially lighted, but 
cheerful. They are furnished with school desks 
and equipped with every needed appliance in the 
nature of maps, charts, and supplies for manual 
work. A large and well-selected reference library 
adds to the excellency of the equipment. 

The affairs of the school are managed by the 
Religious School Committee, consisting of the 
rabbi, associate rabbis, principal, and eight prom- 
inent laymen. This committee is planning the 
construction of a new Sunday-school building of 
modern architectural design and with every facil- 
ity and convenience for educational work. 

SAINT AGNES'S CHAPEL, NEW YORK CITY 

Another splendidly conducted graded Sunday 
school is that of Saint Agnes's Chapel, Trinity 
Parish (Protestant Episcopal), New York city. 

The grading provides for six departments, as 

follows : 

Home: A. 1-4 years (Font Roll); B. Older members. 
Primary: A. (Sub-primary) 4-6 years old; B. 6 
years; C. 7 years; D. 8 years. 

Junior: A. 9; B. 10; C. 11 ; D. 12. 
Middle: A. 13; B. 14; C. 15; D. 16. 
Senior: A. 17; B. 18; C. 19; D. 20. 
Postgraduate — Advanced classes, 



Other Typical Schools 1 1 1 

One unique feature of the school is its Home Home 
Department, which, in addition to providing Department 
Bible study work and text-books for invalids and 
other "shut-ins," undertakes to furnish helps 
and suggestions to parents for the religious train- 
ing and nurture of little children not yet old 
enough to attend the Sunday-school session. The 
purpose of this work is to secure the unconscious 
molding of character by means of the home life 
with which the little child is surrounded. It is 
suggested to parents that love, patience, courtesy, 
obedience, and unselfishness may be taught by 
example, and that it is possible to inculcate even 
in the child a love for nature and a sense of 
guardianship over all life. Simple forms of wor- 
ship and service are indicated for use by and with 
the children in the home. 

In the first or sub-primary grade, designated Primary 
Primary A, and intended for all beginners from De P artment 
four to six years of age, kindergarten methods 
of recognized value are employed. Bible stories 
are used to teach the fatherhood, the love, and 
the care of God, and the love of Christ for 
children, together with nature stories teaching 
the care and protection of young life. In the 
Primary proper, ages six to eight, Bible stories 
from Old and New Testament are continued. 
The Kingdom of God and the Gospel in the 
Church are the themes about which the entire 
group of lessons of the upper Primary grades 
center. 

The work of the Junior Department, ages nine junior 
to twelve, is grouped under the following heads : Studles 
The Church; the catechism; Old Testament his- 



Intermediate 
Course 



Senior 
Course 



1 1 2 The Graded Sunday School 

tory and geography ; a Junior Life of Christ ; New 
Testament history and geography, and stories of 
Early Church Leaders. The geography work 
consists in map-making and in locating on these 
maps the places and events connected with the 
life of Jesus and the Old Testament narrative 
studies. In this as in the preceding department 
the Bible stories are made more real by the 
use of pictures, models, and objects from the 
museum. 

The material for the studies of the Interme- 
diate (Middle) Department, ages thirteen to fif- 
teen, is exceptionally well chosen and adapted 
for this important period. The subjects of study 
include the following: (i) Christian duty — in- 
cluding a study of God's law, natural and re- 
vealed; the Ten Commandments and Christ's 
interpretation of them ; the laws of the Church ; 
the authority of the Church and her ministry; 
the state and her officers ; parents and social 
relationships. (2) Christian faith — including a 
study of the Apostles' Creed, the lives of martyrs 
and of great missionaries. (3) Old Testament 
history which is now studied in chronological 
sequence. 

In the course for the Senior Department the 
subjects of study are Saint Paul and the first 
Christian missionaries, a senior life of Christ and 
Church history. A comprehensive survey of the 
rise and development of the Christian Church 
down to modern times forms an important part 
of the course. Attention is also given to the 
prayer book and hymnal, studied historically and 
analytically. 



Other Typical Schools 



113 



Memoriter 
Work, 
Worship, 
Service 



In the Postgraduate Department three courses Postgraduate 
are offered : one in critical Bible study by books Courses 
and groups of books, one in church history, 
English and American, and one in theory and 
practice of teaching, including child study, 
Sunday-school organization, administration and 
grading, curriculum and text-books. 

Throughout the courses, especially in the Ele- 
mentary grades, memory work is emphasized. 
Selected verses, Bible passages, hymns and re- 
sponsive services from the church ritual form 
the subject-matter of this memoriter work. The 
element of worship is definitely cared for, both 
in the careful attention given to the program of 
song and worship for the school and in definite 
instruction concerning prayer, meditation, and 
public worship and the significance of all the 
special services of the church. On the side of 
practical application the instruction given finds 
expression in definite lines of personal and social 
service recommended. 



FIRST UNION PRESBYTERIAN SUNDAY SCHOOL 

The First Union Presbyterian Sunday School, Typical 
New York city, is a typical average school in g^*f e 
that its pupils and teachers come for the most 
part from the middle or industrial classes. The 
teachers are volunteer workers and are not paid. 
The housing and other facilities of the school 
are inadequate, basement, gallery, pastor's study, 
and choir loft all being preempted for classroom 
purposes. These facts make the successful use 
of a thoroughly graded curriculum of more 
significance, since it demonstrates the feasibility 



Distinguishing 
Feature 



Types of 
Manual Work 



1 14 The Graded Sunday School 

of using such a graded course under conditions 
not ideal and presenting many practical difficul- 
ties. 

The description here given is of the school as 
the author knew it in 1906. At that time it was 
under the supervision of the pastor of the church, 
the Rev. Milton S. Littlefield, 1 better known in 
Sunday-school circles as the author of a splendid 
text-book on Handwork in the Sunday School, 
and since 1907 the efficient Sunday-school pastor 
of Bay Ridge Presbyterian Church, Brooklyn. 
At the time referred to the distinguishing feature 
of the school was the use of manual methods in 
connection with a graded curriculum. 

Manual work of four types is carried on in 
connection with this graded curriculum, namely: 

(1) Illustrative work, including the use of 
models, pictures, and sandtable scenes to illus- 
trate Bible stories. Thus, for example, the pupils 
of one class under the direction of their teacher 
constructed a miniature Arabian tent to illus- 
trate the nomadic life of the exodus journey, 
while another class constructed a model Oriental 
house of pasteboard to illustrate some New 
Testament story. In several classes the making 
of relief maps of Palestine in sand and paper 
pulp constituted part of the work. 

(2) Geography work as a basis of narrative 
work. This includes, in addition to the making 
of the pulp maps already referred to, the tracing 



i Since January, 191 o, Mr. Littlefield, in addition to his pastorate, 
has been engaged in writing the text-books for part of the Inter- 
mediate Course in the International Graded Series for a syndicate 
of denominational publishers, including Presbyterian, Congrega- 
tional, Methodist, and other churches. 



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115 



1 1 6 The Graded Sunday School 

of campaigns and journeys on line maps, the 
making of maps in color showing the rise and 
fall of kingdoms and the sweep of history. 

(3) Notebook work, constituting the norm of 
the whole. The pupils of every grade above the 
Primary are required each week to write in their 
notebooks a short account of the lesson of the 
preceding Sabbath. This account is based some- 
times on the lesson as outlined in the text-books 
and sometimes on the teacher's story. 

(4) Stereograph pictures of places studied, 
used with the stereoscope. The manual work 
for the whole school is directed by special teach- 
ers, the classes going in rotation to a special 
room equipped as a manual work laboratory. 

Plan of The curriculum as indicated in the accompany- 

Grading ' ln g outline provides for four departments above 

the Beginners. The numbering of the grades 
begins with the first year of the Primary and con- 
tinues up through the Junior, Intermediate, and 
Senior Departments. The grading of the last 
named department, however, is not complete. 
Type schools From the survey of the schools considered in 
this chapter it is clear that a thoroughly graded 
curriculum is not an ideal which is beyond the 
possibility of attainment by the average Sunday 
school. The schools described are typical of a 
great many others equally successful in their con- 
duct of graded instruction. Not only has the 
example of centrally located schools such as those 
described been followed by many others, but 
courses of study prepared by denominational and 
other publishers have found wide acceptance. 



XII 

DENOMINATIONAL AND INDEPENDENT 
COURSES AND TEXT-BOOKS 

Various denominations and religious fellow- Denomina- 
ships in the United States have for years pro- tional courses 
vided for their own Sunday schools more or less 
carefully graded courses of religious instruction. 
Among such courses may be mentioned those 
prepared under Protestant Episcopal auspices by 
various boards and commissions for separate 
diocesan organizations or federated groups of 
such organizations ; a curriculum for Jewish re- 
ligious schools, the Bible Study Union and other 
courses. 

No branch of the Christian Church in America Protestant 
has in recent years stood for higher educational Episcopal 
ideals in Sunday-school work than the Protestant 
Episcopal. In all the larger cities of the United 
States and in many rural communities this 
denomination has inaugurated and successfully 
conducted graded courses of religious instruc- 
tion. A General Board of Religious Education 
of the General Convention acts as a clearing 
house for these diocesan organizations and aids 
in a supervisory way in directing the Sunday- 
school movement for the entire Church. To the 
influence of these diocesan and general Sunday- 
school commissions is to be ascribed in a large 
measure the high standard of grading that is the 
rule in many of the Sunday schools of this de- 
nomination. 

117 



Schools 



Joint 

Commission 

Opinion 



More Careful 

Grading 

Advocated 



Statement of 
Principles 



1 1 8 The Graded Sunday School 

As early as the General Convention of 1907 
a Joint Commission on Sunday School Instruc- 
tion 1 put itself on record as follows: 

The Commission is of the opinion (1) That better 
instruction must be provided for the Sunday school; 
(2) That the course of study for Sunday schools must 
be improved; (3) That the Sunday school must receive 
more careful grading and a more complete equipment; 
(4) That the Church must minister more richly to the 
spiritual life of the child, and the Sunday school must 
be kept in closer touch with the Church; (5) That 
general work in behalf of the Sunday school should 
be more efficiently organized. 

Each one of these points is elaborated in the 
printed report of the Commission, definite sug- 
gestions being made as to the best way of realiz- 
ing the improvement desired. Concerning more 
careful grading the report says : 

The multiplicity and diversity of lesson-courses and 
curricula which mark the Sunday-school situation 
to-day are to many a cause of discouragement or alarm. 
But the Commission views this diversity with hopeful- 
ness, and believes that out of it will come those true 
educational principles which are destined to prevail. 
The ultimate goal is not uniformity, but agreement 
upon the principles which lie at the root of religious 
education. It is toward such a statement of prin- 
ciples, and not toward a detailed curriculum, that 
the Commission has labored. 

The statement of principles referred to covers 
the work of all departments of the school, and 
indicates for each both the aim and the material 
of instruction. We quote the statement in full : 

(1) Primary Department. (Embracing the Kinder- 
garten and ages up to about eight.) Aim. — To plant 
in the heart of the child those first truths of Christianity 
which underlie the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the 

1 Superseded in October, 1910, by the General Board of Religious 

Education. 



Courses and Text- Books 1 1 9 

Ten Commandments, viz. : God's love, care, wisdom, 
power — which form the basis for inculcating obedience 
and love, and inspiring reverence and worship in the 
child. Material. — Stories from the Old Testament 
and from the New Testament; stories from nature, 
from daily life, and from the mission field. Memory 
Work. — Simple poems; selected Bible verses and 
hymns; the Lord's Prayer; the 23d Psalm; simple 
prayers; grace at meals, and proper devotional forms 
for home use. 

(2) Junior Department. (Ages, 9-12.) Aim. — 
The moral education of the child, the deepening of his 
sense of duty to others, the direction of his social rela- 
tions and activities, and the establishment of moral 
and religious habits. Material. — The life of Christ in 
story; the Christian year ; the catechism (elementary) ; 
the prayer book; Old Testament stories (as in the 
preceding department, but more biographical in form); 
elementary study of the life of Christ; missionary 
history studied in its great characters. These subjects 
should be accompanied by the self-activity of the child 
in map and manual work. Spiritual Life. — The wor- 
ship of the Church; the adaptation of offices of devo- 
tion to the need of the child ; the cultivation of private 
prayer at home and in the church. Memory Work. — 
Collects; canticles; selected psalms, hymns, and 
passages of Scripture; suitable selections from other 
literature. 

(3) Middle Department. (Ages, 13-16.) Aim. — ■ 
The building of a strong, devout, helpful Christian 
character. This period includes the years in which 
the largest percentage come to confirmation and 
personal religious confession, or, on the other hand, 
take the fatal steps toward evil. Emphasis is to be 
placed on the personal life, the realization of the 
principles and teachings of our Lord, his authority 
as a teacher and an example. Material. — Old Testa- 
ment history as the moral development of a nation; 
its type characters, great events, crises; a more ad- 
vanced study of the life of Christ; his moral and 
spiritual teachings; the beginnings of the Church; 
missionary expansion; leaders of Christian history; 
church worship; typical forms of Christian and social 
service. Spiritual Life. — Confirmation and the holy 
communion; private and public worship; prayer for 
others, for the world, the Church, the diocese, the 
parish; for those newly confirmed, the unconfirmed; 



1 20 The Graded Sunday School 

for those who are careless, and for the development 
of personal interest in others. 

(4) Senior Department. (Ages, 17-20.) There 
should be a clear distinction between the regular 
Sunday-school course and the studies of later years. 
A determining point analogous to graduation should 
be reached. This period presents the last opportunity 
most will have for consecutive study. It should 
therefore cover such subjects as will best fit the pupil 
for his future as a Christian and as a churchman. 
Aim. — The determining of Christian character; moral 
conviction; comprehension of the divine origin and 
mission of the Church; responsibility for carrying on 
the work of Christ. Material. — The prayer book; 
Christian doctrine; church history; church polity; 
missionary work; the Bible studied in sections, by 
periods, by books, e.g., the Psalter, Messianic prophe- 
cies, the teachings of the Lord Jesus, selected epistles. 
Spiritual Life. — Emphasis upon the corporate life of 
the Church; common worship, fellowship, and service. 

(5) Postgraduate Department. Either (a) Normal 
Course. Aim. — The preparation of persons for service 
as teachers. Material. — The study of child nature; 
principles and methods of teaching; Sunday-school 
organization and administration; synthetic study of 
the Old Testament; the life of Christ; the history 
and worship of the Church. Or (b) Elective Courses. 
Aim. — The broadening of Christian knowledge in the 
individual and the home, leading to deeper interest in 
the work and worship of the Church, and the cultivation 
of home and family worship. Material. — Studies in 
Bible history; the history of the canon of Scripture; 
prayer book ; liturgies ; the social service of Christianity . 

A CURRICULUM FOR JEWISH RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS 

a Guide A curriculum intended for general use in Jew- 

for Teachers ^ re ligious schools has been prepared by a board 
of editors under the direction of one of the 
professors of Jewish literature at Yale Uni- 
versity and principal of the Free Synagogue 
Religious School, New York city. It is ad- 
mitted by the editors that the curriculum was 
inspired by the movement toward graded courses 



Courses and Text-Books 



121 



of study in the Sunday schools of North America. 
At the same time the course of study presented 
differs from the International Graded Series in 
that it is intended to serve merely as a guide to 
teachers, with a number of text-books indicated 
in connection with the outline for each grade. 
No effort has been made to grade the material 
closely by separate years, although the outline 
prepared for the ages from six to sixteen is 
divided roughly into nine grade units. Each 
of these is, however, intended to be flexible, over- 
lapping the next grade in both directions. Thus, 
for example, the first grade is intended for pupils 
from six to eight years; the second for ages 
seven to nine, and the eighth grade for ages 
thirteen to fifteen. 

The curriculum is printed in book form. The in Book Form 
work for each grade is outlined under five head- 
ings, as follows: 

I. The Aim of the Class: Outline 

1. Religious. 

2. Ethical. 

II. Method of Class Organization (indicating the size 
of classes, length of session, method of teach- 
ing, etc.). 

III. Course of Study (indicating the theme or title of 

the work for the year, with sub-titles for separate 
lessons or groups of lessons). 

IV. Memory Work (indicating psalms, prayers, and 

hymns for memorization). 
V. Social Service (indicating definite ways by which 
the religious and ethical teaching of the lessons 
may be put into daily practice). 

A carefully selected list of reference books 
for the teachers is indicated in connection with 
the statement concerning the course of study. 

The work suggested for the several grades 



122 The Graded Sunday School 

Social service under the heading of social service is worthy 
illustrations f Dr j e f special mention. A few examples will 
be more illuminating than a simple descrip- 
tion. Thus, for the second grade the suggestions 
include the following: 

1. Contributions taken in class for the school guild, 
a charitable organization composed of all the children 
of the school. 

2. Let the teacher point out definite ways in which 
the pupil can help his father, mother, brother, teacher, 
and friends, and put constantly into practice the ethical 
lessons of the course. 

3. The children should be led to use every chance 
to feed animals, especially to care for disabled cats and 
dogs, to raise plants for gifts to poor or sick children, 
to bring clothes, fruit, toys, and other objects to school 
as gifts for the needy, to become members in helpful 
organizations, such as the Society for the Prevention of 
Cruelty to Animals. 

For the third year the additional suggestion 
is made that the pupils write letters and send 
personal gifts to children in hospitals, orphan 
asylums, and to "shut-ins" at home. For each 
year additional forms of worthy service are in- 
dicated, the earlier ones not being omitted, cul- 
minating in the ninth year with the following 
list of suggestions: 

1. Membership and active work in synagogue and 
temple. Simple investigations and reports on civic 
problems involving ethics, morals, and religion. 

2. Membership in peace societies, civic improvement 
leagues, fresh air organizations, societies for the pre- 
vention of cruelty to children, to animals, etc. 

3. Care and consideration for the unfortunate, the 
weak, the aged, the unpopular, for servants, for animals, 
trees, parks, etc. 

4. Assisting the school and synagogue. Service in the 
choir, as an usher, in the school, orchestra, at social 
functions. Visiting absent pupils and helping them in 
their omitted studies. Messenger service, framing pic- 



Courses and Text- Books 1 23 

tures, coloring mottoes,- making bulletin boards, etc. 
Assisting the teacher, the librarian, taking charge of 
the school record board. Selecting books for the school 
library. Taking part in social entertainments to be 
given in social or charitable institutions. The making of 
scrap-books to be sent to children in hospitals. A Bible 
text illustrated by a good picture cut from a magazine 
stimulates study without the pupil's knowing it and 
brings cheerfulness to the sick. School or class picnics, 
nature-study walks, visits to public institutions, under 
guidance of the teacher. Fathers and mothers should 
often be invited on these excursions. 

The course of study is definitely religious and Religious and 
ethical in aim. The subject-matter is taken ex- EthicalAims 
clusively from the Old Testament and other 
earlier and later Jewish history and literature. 

With the third grade the consecutive study 

of Hebrew history is begun, four full years being 

devoted to Old Testament history from Abraham 

to Judas Maccabaeus. The aim of this historical 

study is indicated in the expressed aim for the 

sixth grade, which reads : 

(1) To impart a knowledge of Israel's biblical leaders 
and of the central meaning of their time. (2) To in- 
spire reverence for God as the Lawgiver in the physical, 
scientific, and moral world, and the feeling that God 
has appointed in his world's purpose a distinct mission 
for the Jew — a mission well defined, especially by Israel's 
later prophets. 

VII. Seventh Grade: 

Title of Course: The Defenders and Early Rabbis of 
Judaism from Judas Maccabasus to the Completion of 
the Talmud (B. C. 165 to A. D. 500). In addition to the 
historical purpose clearly defined in the aim, the religious 
aim of this year is expressed as follows: "In a simple 
manner to present God as a spiritual power working for 
righteousness and to inspire a feeling that the pupil 
must hopefully array himself on God's side in the at- 
tempt to realize the mission of the Jew." The ethical 
aim for the year is expressed thus: "To build up a pure, 
optimistic, hero-worshiping boy or girl with clear ideals 
of justice and of service." 



Bible Study 
Union Courses 



A New 
Completely 
Graded Series 



! 24 The Graded Sunday School 

The work of the ninth year is a study of "The 
Jewish Religion — Its Meaning, Its Demands, and 
Its Ideals." The aims of this year culminate in 
confirmation, by means of which the pupil is ini- 
tiated into the fellowship of synagogue workers. 

BIBLE STUDY UNION COURSES 

The Bible Study Union (Blakeslee) Graded 
Lesson Courses, first published in 1891, aim to 
provide a complete system of connected and 
graded Bible study for the Sunday school. Two 
separate and distinct courses of study for the 
entire school are offered. The older of these 
provides for six series of lessons, each divided 
in turn into four separate departmental courses, 
one for children, one for boys and girls, one for 
young people, and one for adults. In the first 
and second courses the lessons are based on 
Bible stories designed to familiarize children 
with the events recorded and with the religious 
truths suggested by them. The third course con- 
sists of connected biography and history, and the 
fourth of topics for discussion derived from the 
Scripture used in the third course. The scheme of 
grading does not contemplate that all the courses 
offered shall be taken by any given pupil in pass- 
ing up through the several grades of the school. 

Under the influence of the general movement 
toward more carefully graded curricula the 
Union has prepared another Completely Graded 
Series intended to be more in harmony with the 
principles of modern child psychology and peda- 
gogy. Among the general characteristics claimed 
for this series are these: 



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Firs« Fear. GOD THE LOVING FATHER Preparing 

a Home for His Children. 
Second Year. GOD'S LOYAL CHILDREN Learning to 

Live Happily Together. 
Third Year. JESUS' WAY OF LOVE AND SERVICE. 


THE JUNIOR BIBLE 

jFirs* rear. Part I. EARLY HEROES AND HERO- 
INES. Abraham to Solomon. 

Second Year. Part II. KINGS AND PROPHETS. 
From Rehoboam to Herod. 

Third Year. Part III. LIFE AND WORDS OF JESUS. 
Stories from the Gospels. 

Fourth Year. Part IV. CHRISTIAN APOSTLES AND 
MISSIONARIES. 


First Year. HEROES OF THE FAITH. Leading char- 
acters from Biblical and secular history. 

Second Year. CHRISTIAN LIFE AND CONDUCT. 
Biblical and modern laws as related to the Christian 
life of to-day. 

Third Year. THE LIFE OF JESUS. From the four 
Gospels. 

Fourth Year. RECORDS OF THE FAITH. The 
Bible as literature. 


A. THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHRISTIANITY. 
*•*«* year. PREPARATIONS FOR CHRISTIANITY. 

As found in the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus. 

Second Year. HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY. From 
Apostolic times to the present. 

Third Year. THE CONQUERING CHRIST. A sur- 
vey of Christian missions. 

Fourth Year. THE MODERN CHURCH. 


B. BIBLICAL HISTORY 
First Year. HEROES AND CRISES OF EARLY 

HEBREW HISTORY. 
Second Year. FOUNDERS AND RULERS OF 

UNITED ISRAEL. 
Third Year. KINGS AND PROPHETS OF ISRAEL 

AND JUDAH. 
Fourth Year. LEADERS AND TEACHERS OF 

POST-EXILIC JUDAISM. 


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God's control and direction in life 
by a study of Biblical and other 
characters; also to establish habits 
of worship and helpfulness, and to 
make the pupil familiar with the 
chief persons and events of Biblical 
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AIM. To inspire a love for the 
Christian religion and worship, by 
making clear what Christianity is, 
what it has done, and what it is 
doing, and to ally the individual 
with modern religious and social 
movements. 


AIM. To lay historic founda- 
tions for a strong, practical faith, 
and to give future Sunday school 
teachers the Biblical equipment re- 
quired for effective work. 


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125 



Courses 
Outlined 



Beginners 
Course 
Primary 
Course 



Junior 
Course 



126 The Graded Sunday School 

1. A close and careful adaptation of the lesson ma- 
terial and methods of study to the needs of the pupil 
at each successive period of development. 

2. A study of the Bible by the most effective modern 
methods. 

3. A supplementing of the Bible by such other ma- 
terial as will best promote religious and moral development. 

4. A practical application of the teachings of _ the 
Bible, with the aim of cultivating social as well as indi- 
vidual morality and spirituality. 

5. A constant endeavor to inspire and direct the pupils 
in giving expression to moral and religious truth. 

6. The lessons for each year are so arranged that they 
can be used for nine months or twelve months. 

The new series when completed will provide 
six departmental courses covering seventeen 
grades, for pupils between the ages of four and 
twenty-one ; also a number of elective courses for 
adults. The division of the series into depart- 
mental courses follows the same plan as the 
International Graded Series described in the next 
chapter. The courses already announced as 
ready are indicated in the tabulation given on the 
preceding page. A brief description of each will 
indicate more clearly the general scope and pur- 
pose of the series. 

The two years' course of the Beginners Department 
is at the date of this writing still in preparation. 

The general aim of the course for the Primary De- 
partment is "To awaken feelings of love and trust and 
to cultivate habits of obedience and loyalty to parents, 
to teachers, and to God." Bible and other stories are 
used as the basis of instruction. Care has been taken 
to keep within the child's range of understanding and 
experience, and to make each lesson real to him by apply- 
ing it to his own everyday life. The stories are topically 
arranged. 

The Junior Course takes special cognizance of the 
peculiar forms of service and activity characteristic of 
this age. The plans for the pupils provide for suitable 
home and class work, including the mounting of pictures, 



Courses and Text-Books 1 27 

the writing of Bible stories, the binding of separate 
lesson leaves into a book, which when completed con- 
stitutes an illustrated "Jum° r Bible" of selected stories 
written by each pupil for himself. 

The Intermediate Course aims to provide for the intermediate 
special religious needs of adolescents. In the first year Course 
the purpose is to develop admiration for the Christian 
type of life and some realization of the different spheres 
of Christian heroism. This is followed in the second 
year by studies in Christian life and conduct, present- 
ing the particular rules and standards which all Christians 
endeavor to follow, the purpose being to assist the pupil 
in making the transition from childlike obedience in 
conduct to an intelligent and freely willed emulation of 
the Christian ideal. These two courses are followed by 
a more complete study of the life of Christ, and in the 
fourth year by a study of the Bible as containing the 
records of the faith. 

In the Senior Department the pupil is given an option Senior Course 
of two courses, the one dealing with the development 
of Christianity, and the other offering a more thorough 
study of Old Testament history. The purpose of the 
first of these courses is to bring the pupil into touch 
with modern religious and social movements after first 
giving to him a comprehensive grasp of the religion of 
Israel and a larger realization of its ideals in the religion 
of Jesus Christ, and the organization and development 
of the Christian Church. 

Both memory and manual work are provided 
in connection with each departmental course. 
The staff of consulting editors and lesson writers 
includes a number of prominent authorities in 
the field of religious education. Altogether the 
course is among the very best available, and 
points the way toward a brighter future in re- 
ligious teaching in the Sunday school. 

UNITARIAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL COURSES 

The Unitarian Sunday School Society pub- 
lishes two systems of lesson study, together with 
many additional manuals and text-books for 
optional use in the several grades and depart- 



1 28 The Graded Sunday School 

ments of the school. The more recent of the 
two complete courses published and the only one 
which can be called in any sense a real graded 
course, is known as "The Beacon Series of 
Graded Manuals." This series has been pre- 
pared by a group of active Sunday-school work- 
ers in cooperation with experts in education and 
psychology. It avowedly aims to present reli- 
gious material in a rational constructive man- 
ner, and offers carefully graded subject-matter 
for pupils of various ages from six to seventeen. 
Organically the course is divided into twelve 
yearly units for three groups or departments of 
four units each, Primary, ages six to nine; 
Junior, ages ten to thirteen; Senior, ages four- 
teen to seventeen. The various manuals are 
graded to meet the needs of the age for which 
they are intended both in the selection of material 
and in the lesson treatment. In the treatment 
of biblical material an attempt has been made 
to avoid critical methods, while at the same time 
accepting the result of the most advanced bibli- 
cal criticism. In the use of non-biblical material 
the selection has proceeded upon the assumption 
that "whatever is vitally related to religious 
development is suited to Sunday-school use." 
The text-books are in booklet form for pupils, 
with an enlarged manual edition for teachers 
accompanying each course. The complete course 
of twelve years covers the following subjects: 
Primary: 

i. First Book of Religion. 

2. Stories from the Old Testament. 

3. Stories from the New Testament. 

4. World Stories. 



Courses and Text- Books 1 29 

Junior: 

5. The Bible and the Bible Country. 

6. Hebrew Beginnings. 

7. Hebrew History: 

Old Testament Narratives, Part II. 

8. Jesus of Nazareth. 
Senior: 

9. Work of the Apostles. 

10. Movements and Men of Christian History. 

11. Comparative Studies in Religion: 

An Introduction to Unitarianism. 

12. The Bible as Literature. 

The other series of lessons offered for Uni- 
tarian schools is known as "The One-Topic 
Three-Grade Series." It is, strictly speaking, 
a system of uniform lessons with one and the 
same lesson for the whole school. The course 
has a marked advantage over the International 
Uniform System, however, in the fact that the 
subject-matter is graded in such a way that the 
study proceeds from the Old to the New Testa- 
ment and from the New Testament to early and 
later church history in regular sequence as 
shown in the following outline : 

The One-Topic Three-Grade Series: 

1. Early Old Testament Narratives. 

2. Story of Israel (Twenty Lessons). 

3. Great Thoughts of Israel (Twenty Lessons). 

4. Scenes in the Life of Jesus (Thirty-six Lessons). 

5. Teaching of Jesus (Twenty Lessons). 

6. Beginning of Christianity (Twenty Lessons). 

7. Beacon Lights of Christian History (Forty Lessons). 

This survey of graded lesson courses would be professor 
incomplete without at least a passing mention of 
the Bible-School Curriculum outlined by Pro- 
fessor Pease in his book devoted to this subject. 1 

*An Outline of a Bible-School Curriculum. By George William 
Pease. 



Pease's 
Outline 



I30 The Graded Sunday School 

This book aims to present in detail a course of 
study covering all departments of the Sunday 
school. The outline for each department follows 
an extended psychological analysis of the period 
of child life covered, and is accompanied by 
suggested lesson plans and special bibliographies. 
It is but fair to say that the work of Professor 
Pease has directly or indirectly influenced much 
of the more recent literature which has appeared 
on the subject, and that the curriculum which he 
outlined has guided many earnest workers in 
their effort to reconstruct Sunday-school instruc- 
tion along educational lines. We here give a 
brief synopsis of the course as a whole : 

The Primary Department 
kindergarten grades 

Source of material: Nature. 

Teaching a revelation of God the Workman. Power, 
wisdom, love, rule; basis for reverence, trust, love, 
obedience. 

PRIMARY GRADES 

Sources of material : Nature, Bible, missionary liter- 
ature. 

Teaching a revelation of God the Loving Father. 
Sec. 1. Providing for his children's needs. 
Sec. 2. Providing wise laws. 
Sec. 3. Providing guidance and help. 

JUNIOR DEPARTMENT 

Sources of material: Bible, missionary literature. 
Teaching a revelation of God the World-Ruler. 
Sec. 1 . Ruling and blessing a people. 
Sec. 2. Ruling and blessing the nations. 
Sec. 3. Ruling and blessing the world. 

INTERMEDIATE DEPARTMENT 

Sources of material: Bible, biographical literature. 
Teaching a revelation of God the Character-Former . 



Courses and Text- Books 13 1 

Sec. 1. Biographies of Old Testament characters. 

Sec. 2. Biographies of New Testament characters. 

Sec. 3. Biographies of characters of post-apostoiic 
times. 

SENIOR DEPARTMENT 

Sources of material : Bible, special literature. 

Teaching a revelation of God the Source of Truth. 

Sec. 1. The Christian religion. 

Sec. 2. Fundamental religious truths. 

Sec. 3. The other great religions of the world. 

ADULT DEPARTMENT 

Sources of material : Bible, special literature. 
Teaching a revelation of God the Eternal King. 
All work in this department elective. Each class 
elects subjects as will be the most helpful and interesting. 

A new dignity and value is given to Sunday- The use of 
school instruction through the use of text-books Text - Books 
such as the graded curriculum presupposes. In 
addition to the series of text-books issued in con- 
nection with the several courses of study which 
have been outlined above, many others suited to 
use in graded Sunday-school instruction are 
available. Among these two separate series, pre- 
pared especially for use in the Sunday school, 
deserve to be specially mentioned. 

One of these is the "system of graded text- university of 
books for religious education in the Sunday Chlca e o Serles 
school," issued by the University of Chicago 
Press. This series is noteworthy in that it is pre- 
pared and edited with the cooperation of the 
faculty of a recognized educational institution. 
It comprises eighteen or more volumes covering 
all grades from the Kindergarten to the Adult 
Department. These are further supplemented by 
a number of courses for adult study prepared by 
the American Institute of Sacred Literature. A 
careful examination of these texts, together with 



Keedy 
Series 



Separate 
Text-Books 



I32 The Graded Sunday School 

an experimental use of a number of them in a 
graded school of religious instruction, of which 
the author was for a time the principal, has led 
him to a twofold conclusion with regard to the 
series: (1) The work of the several text-books, 
especially those intended for the Junior and In- 
termediate grades, seems to be somewhat diffi- 
cult for average pupils of the ages for which the 
separate texts are intended. (2) The text-books 
are of a uniformly high standard of excellence. 

A second series of graded text-books intended 
especially for the Sunday school is that issued 
by the Graded Sunday School Publishing Com- 
pany of Boston, and edited by the Rev. John 
L. Keedy. These books are planned for pupils 
from twelve to eighteen years of age. There 
would seem to be too much uniformity in the 
form and arrangement of the several text-books 
and between the separate lessons of the individ- 
ual texts. The same text-book is, moreover, 
designated for use by all pupils between the ages 
of thirteen and seventeen years inclusive, which 
in itself is absurd. The texts have the merit of 
requiring independent Bible reading and study on 
the part of the pupils and of requiring further 
a certain amount of written and other manual 
work in connection with a pupil's notebook ac- 
companying each course. 

In addition to these series of connected text- 
books covering larger portions of the Sunday- 
school curriculum there are available a steadily 
increasing number of separate text-books of study 
prepared with great care and intended for cer- 
tain specified grades and ages. 



XIII 



THE INTERNATIONAL GRADED COURSE 

It is not surprising that after all these years of Product of 
increasingly successful experimentation on the Experience 
part of individual churches and denominations, 
and under the inspiration of the example set by 
leading educators and university professors, 
there should be evolved an International Graded 
Course of study to supersede the old uniform 
lesson system. Nor is it to be wondered at that 
the graded lessons thus developed should incor- 
porate the best features of many courses already 
in successful operation. Those intrusted with 
the actual outlining of the various sections of this 
course are men and women of unusual equip- 
ment, of practical experience in graded schools, 
and of large acquaintance with the work being 
done in all parts of the Sunday-school field. The 
International Graded Course, therefore, is the 
product of actual and wide experience, as an 
examination and comparison with the courses 
already presented will clearly demonstrate. 

But experience is ever widening and growing. 
It is dynamic and progressive. Therefore, its 
product also must have within itself room for 
improvement. A course of study which grows 
out of experience is not completed in a day nor 
in a year. It is the resultant of a slow process of 
addition, emendation, and elimination. This is 
true of the new graded course under discussion. 
This course is not yet completed, but it is being 
133 



Properly 
Constructed 



134 Th e Graded Sunday School 



Departmental 
Grouping 



constructed properly. The several departmental 
sections of the course are ready in outline. These 
cover the work of the Elementary and Secondary 
grades. Subcommittees under the direction of 
the International Lesson Committee are en- 
gaged in preparing the courses for each grade 
within the several departments in detail, having 
begun with the first year's work for each of the 
departments. 

The work of the lesson committee ceases with 
the preparation of detailed outline of the course 
for each grade and department. The selection or 
preparation of text-books is left to the several 
denominations and to such other publishers and 
societies as may desire to enter the field. Our 
analysis of the course at this point will confine 
itself to the general and detailed outlines thus 
far released for publication by the lesson com- 
mittee. A brief statement regarding text-books 
will be made at another point in our discussion. 

The new graded course is arranged in units of 
one year, and is thus adaptable to any plan of 
departmental classification. The grouping of the 
work into departments is, however, in harmony 
with the generally accepted usage and ter- 
minology of denominational and interdenomina- 
tional Sunday-school workers. The age limits for 
the respective groups are as follows: 

Beginners Department; age of pupils, 4 and 5 years, 
corresponding to the Kindergarten age in the public 
schools. 

Primary Department, three years; age of pupils, 
6-8 years. 

Junior Department, four years; age of pupils, 
9—12 years. 

Intermediate, four years; age of pupils, 13-16 years. 



International Graded Course I35 

Senior, four years; age of pupils, 17-20 years. 
Advanced; age of students, 21 years and older. 

The work of the several grades in the Begin- The school 
ners, Primary, and Junior Departments is alike in Year 
that fifty-two lessons are provided for each 
year. It is, however, intended that the school 
year be observed, the work for the several years 
being planned in each case to begin with October 
and to end with June. The lessons for July and 
August, while offering valuable supplementary 
matter in connection with preceding years' work, 
are not essential to the complete aim of the year. 
In a similar way the lessons planned for the 
month of September are of a preparatory nature, 
leading up to the work for the following year, 
which properly begins in October. 

The lesson material for the several courses is, Material 
as far as possible, taken from the Bible, but na- 
ture stories, missionary literature, temperance 
facts, and stories from church history are also 
used. The knowledge already in possession of 
the pupil through his public-school work has been 
taken into consideration in planning these courses, 
while the average natural ability of the pupils of 
a given age has governed the selection of the 
subject material. 

The purpose of the course in general is stated Purpose 
as follows: 

To meet the spiritual needs of the pupil in each 
stage of his development. 

The spiritual needs broadly stated are these: 

(1) To know God as he has revealed himself to us 
in nature, in the heart of man, and in Christ. 

(2) To exercise toward God, the Father, and his Son, 
Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, trust, obedience, 
and worship. 



Story Titles 



1 36 The Graded Sunday School 

(3) To know and do our duty to others. 

(4) To know and do our duty to ourselves. 

THE BEGINNERS COURSE; AGES, 4 AND 5 

The special aim of the Beginners Course, as 
stated by the subcommittee intrusted with its 
preparation, is : 

To lead the little child to the Father by helping him 

(1) To know God, the heavenly Father, who loves 
him, provides for and protects him. 

(2) To know Jesus the Son of God, who became a 
little child, who went about doing good, and who is the 
Friend and Saviour of little children. 

(3) To know about the heavenly home. 

(4) To distinguish between right and wrong. 

(5) To show his love for God by working with him 
and for others. 

The title of the lessons in the Beginners, as in 
the Primary Department, are story titles, simply 
worded, and grouped under more general themes, 
to each of which several successive lessons are 
devoted. The themes for the first year of the 
Beginners course indicate in a general way the 
plan. The numerals following the several themes 
refer to the lessons devoted to each : 



THEMES FOR THE FIRST YEAR 

I. The Heavenly Father's Care. Stories 1-7. 
II. Thanksgiving for Care. Stories 8-10. 

III. Thanksgiving for God's Best Gift. Stories 11-13. 

IV. Love Shown through Care. Stories 14-19. 
V. The Loving Care of Jesus. Stories 20-25. 

VI. God's Care of Life. Stories 26, 27. 
VII. Our Part in the Care of Flowers and Birds. 
Stories 28, 29. 
VIII. Duty of Loving Obedience. Stories 30-36. 
IX. Love Shown by Prayer and Praise. Stories 37-39. 
X. Love Shown by Kindness (to those in the Family 

Circle). Stories 40-43. 
XI. Love Shown by Kindness (to those outside the 
Family). Stories 44-52. 



International Graded Course 1 37 

The themes for the second-year Beginners are Development 
related in thought to those of the first year. In ofThemes 
the outline for each year the separate themes 
have been worked out with marked success. 
Thus the Christmas theme, "Thanksgiving for 
God's Best Gift," runs through three lessons, 
two of which are devoted to the shepherd pas- 
sage in Luke's narrative (Luke 2. 1-20), and one 
to Matthew's story of the visit of the wise men 
(Matt. 2. 1-11). This Christmas theme is in 
turn preceded by three preparatory lessons on 
thanksgiving for good gifts, leading up naturally 
to the Christmas story and the thought of God's 
greatest gift to man. Contrasted with the Inter- 
national Uniform Lesson Series, in which the 
Christmas lesson, when not crowded out alto- 
gether by preparation and rehearsals for the 
Christmas entertainment, too often formed an 
abrupt break for a single Sunday in an unrelated 
series of lessons from Old or New Testament, 
this new Beginners course clearly offers a better 
opportunity to treat this theme of all themes 
with the fullness which its importance demands. 

Perhaps the topic which has been most sue- concrete 

cessfully developed in connection with the first Exam pie 

year's work is the one on "The Loving Care of 

Jesus" (Theme V, Lessons 20-25). The story 

titles of the consecutive lessons under this theme 

will suggest the possibilities which it offers for 

splendid work with little people. These story 

titles are as follows : 

Lesson 20. Jesus Caring for Hungry People (Feeding 

the Five Thousand, John 6. 1-13). 
Lesson ax. Jesus Caring for a Sick Boy (The Noble- 
man's Son Healed, John 4. 46-53). 



138 The Graded Sunday School 

Lesson 22. Stories 20 and 21 Retold. 

Lesson 23. Jesus Loving Little Children (Mark 

10. 13-16). 
Lesson 24. Children's Love for Jesus (The Story of 

the Triumphal Entry and the Children 

in the Temple Court, Matt. 21. 6-1 1, 

14-16). 
Lesson 25. Stories 23 and 24 Retold. 

This theme represents the sort of narrative group- 
ing which a mother or teacher would instinctively 
make in seeking to acquaint the young child with 
the character of Jesus. The memory verses which 
accompany this group of lessons are only two in 
number, namely: 

"We love, because he first loved us." 1 John 4. 19. 
"Suffer the little children to come unto me." 
Mark 10. 14. 

improvement The improvement of such a course of lessons 
over ow f or voun g children over the old uniform lessons, 

system dealing in turn with sections from Old and New 

Testament narratives without regard to the needs 
of the pupil, is so obvious as to need no special 
comment. The writer is reminded in retrospect 
of the Sunday morning only a few years ago 
when he took his four-year-old boy to the Begin- 
ners Department of a large city Sunday school. 
Staying a little while to observe the lesson, he 
was interested more than edified by the endeavor 
of the teacher to explain to the little folks the 
passage from Mark 12. 18-27, the substance of 
which is contained in the question, "Whose wife 
shall she be in the resurrection ?" Under the new 
system the teacher of small children will not be 
compelled to attempt the impossible in the matter 
of adapting the story of the lesson passage to 



International Graded Course 1 39 

the needs of her pupils. For this step forward 
we thank God, and in the prospect of the future 
we take courage. 

THE PRIMARY COURSE. GRADES I-III ) AGES, 6-8 

The Primary course, like the Beginners, con- Material 
sists of a consecutive series of lessons with story- 
titles simply worded. No attention has been paid 
to either history or chronology in the selection 
of the subject material for these lessons. Pro- 
vision is made at the end of each theme for the 
retelling of the stories grouped under it, for a 
generalization, or for both a retelling and a gen- 
eralization. This is a commendable concession to 
the children's love for repetition, and their mani- 
fest interest in that which is familiar. The 
Christmas and Easter themes are in the Primary 
course developed each year on a different plane. 

The aim of the three-year Primary course is Aim 
stated as being: 

To lead the child to know the heavenly Father, 
and to inspire within him a desire to live as God's child : 

i. To show forth God's power, love, and care, and 
to awaken within the child responsive love, trust, and 
obedience. 

2. To build upon the teachings of the first year (i) 
by showing ways in which children may express their 
love, trust, and obedience; (2) by showing Jesus the 
Saviour in his love and work for men; and (3) by 
showing how helpers of Jesus and others learn to do 
God's will. 

3. To build upon the work of the first and second 
years by telling (1) about people who chose to do God's 
will; and (2) how Jesus by his life and words, death 
and resurrection, revealed the Father's love and will 
for us; (3) such stories as will make a strong appeal 
to the child and arouse within him a desire to choose 
and do that which God requires of him. 



140 The Graded Sunday School 

Themes In the selection of the themes and lessons for 

First Year fa Q £ rst y ear a special aim has been "To show 
forth God's power, love, and care, and to awaken 
within the child responsive love, trust, and 
obedience." Beginning with two lessons on the 
theme "God the Creator and Father," taken from 
the first chapters of Genesis, the course for this 
first year follows in a general way a familiar 
series of Old Testament stories illustrating the 
following consecutive themes : 

God the Loving Father and His Good Gifts, 

God's Care Calling Forth Love and Thanks, 

Love Shown by Giving, 

God's Best Gift (Christmas Theme), 

God the Protector, 

God Rescuing from Sin, 

together with other similar subjects. 
Second and In the second year's work, which builds upon 

Third Years the teaching of the first year, the themes and les- 
sons chosen are such as tend to show how chil- 
dren may express their love, trust, and obedience 
in service. As a background for this teaching 
the work of Jesus as a helper and comforter is 
presented in a series of well-chosen story les- 
sons from the gospel narratives. In the third 
Primary year the special aim of the course is 
further developed by means of a series of themes 
and stories telling of people choosing to do God's 
will. Such stories especially are selected as tend 
to arouse within the child the desire to choose 
and to do the right. 

JUNIOR COURSE, GRADES IV TO VII ; AGES, 9~I2 

In the preparation of the Junior course the 
committee has clearly taken cognizance of sev- 



International Graded Course 141 

eral important characteristics of child life dur- important 
ing this period. Before the material for the characteristics 
course was selected the two main crises of spir- 
itual awakening were carefully considered. A 
study of the full harmonic life of Christ was post- 
poned as belonging properly to the Intermediate 
period (ages 13-16), the time at which the second 
of these spiritual crises occurs. With this deci- 
sion reached the committee worked backward, 
outlining the material for each year back to the 
beginning of the Junior period, and then built up 
the course to culminate in the fourth Junior year, 
when the first marked religious crisis of life may 
normally be expected. 

The dawn of the historic sense is recognized in Traits 
the introduction, during the first two years, of Recognized 
story and biographical material chronologically 
arranged in periods, while in the last two years 
the studies comprise on the whole a continuous 
though not necessarily complete history. 

The period of child life covered by these les- Memory; 
sons forms the beginning at least of the strong- Habits 
est memory period, and is preeminently also a 
habit-forming age. The first of these facts is 
recognized by the use of additional memory work, 
many psalms and other connected passages of 
Scripture being indicated for memorization. 
These memory selections are chosen largely 
to supplement the teaching of the group of lessons 
with which they are connected, though it is not 
considered essential that they shall in every case 
bear directly on the truth of the lesson proper. 
A recognition of the importance of this period in 
habit formation is evident in the statement of 



I42 The Graded Sunday School 

the fourfold aim of the course, which in the words 
of the committee is stated as being: 

To awaken an interest in the Bible, and love for it; 
to deepen the impulse to choose and to do the right. 

To present the ideal of moral heroism; to reveal 
the power and majesty of Jesus Christ, and to show his 
followers going forth in his strength to do his work. 

To deepen the sense of responsibility for right 
choices; to show the consequences of right and wrong 
choices; to strengthen love for the right and hatred 
for the wrong. 

To present Jesus as our example and Saviour ; to lead 
the pupil to appreciate his opportunities for service, and 
to give him a vision of what it means to be a Christian. 

The outline of material for the four years of 
the Junior work are as follows : 

FIRST YEAR 

I. Stories of the Beginnings. Lessons 1-7. 
II. Stories of Three Patriarchs. Lessons 8-20. 

III. The Story of Joseph. Lessons 21-26. 

IV. Stories of Moses and of His Times. Lessons 27-39. 
V. Stories that Jesus Told. Lessons 40-48. 

VI. The Journeys of Moses. Lessons 49-52. 

SECOND YEAR 

I. Stories of the Conquest of Canaan. Lessons 1-8. 
II. Opening Stories of the New Testament. Lessons 
9-1 1. 

III. Incidents in the Life of the Lord Jesus. Lessons 

12—26. 

IV. Where the Lord Jesus Is Now. Lessons 27, 28. 
V. Early Followers of the Lord Jesus. Lessons 

2Q-35- 
VI. Later Followers of the Lord Jesus. Lessons 36-43. 
VII. Stories of the Judges. Lessons 44-52. 

THIRD YEAR 

I. The First Three Kings of Israel. Lessons 1-18. 
II. The Divided Kingdom. Lessons 19-35. 

III. Responsibility for One's Self, Neighbor, and 

Country. Lessons 36-39. 

IV. The Exile and the Return. Lessons 40-48. 

V. Introduction to New Testament Times. Lessons 
49-52. 



International Graded Course 1 43 

FOURTH YEAR 

I. The Gospel of Mark. Lessons 1—26. 
II. Studies in the Acts. Lessons 27—39. 
III. Stories from Lives of Later Missionaries. Les- 
sons 40-52. 

In addition to the Bible material used there Missionary 
are introduced into the Junior course at appro- Bi °s ra P h y 
priate points stories from church history and 
series of biographical missionary studies, includ- 
ing life sketches of well-known missionaries, as, 
for example: 

William Carey (India, 1793). 

Robert Morrison (China, 1807). 

David Livingstone (Africa, 1841). 

Mary Moffat (wife of Livingstone). 

Marcus Whitman (Oregon and Washington, 1842). 

John C. Paton (New Hebrides, 1858). 

Jerry McAuley (Water Street Mission, 1872). 

Joseph Neesima (Japan, 1874). 

The stories and biographical sketches used have 
been selected for their intrinsic interest and 
simply arranged in chronological order. They 
thus form a basis for later studies in both church 
and denominational history, which form a part of 
the Intermediate and Senior courses. 

INTERMEDIATE COURSE. AGES, 1 3- 1 6 

The Intermediate course takes cognizance of Aim 
the peculiar character and needs of the adolescent 
period. Its aim is : 

To lead to the practical recognition of the duty and 
responsibility of personal Christian living, and to or- 
ganize the conflicting impulses of life so as to develop 
habits of Christian service. 

The outline of material for the four years of 



144 Th e Graded Sunday School 

the course reveals emphasis on the biographical- 
historical material in the first two years, leading 
up to a harmonic study of the life of Christ in the 
third year, or at fifteen, which, according to such 
statistics as are available on the subject, is the 
age of most frequent conversion. The Studies 
in Christian Living indicated in the fourth year 
follow in natural sequence. The material of the 
course as indicated in the printed outline is as 
follows : 

FIRST YEAR 

I. Leaders of Israel. Biographical Studies in 
the Old Testament, with the Geographical 
and Historical Background. Lessons 1-39. 
II. Religious Leaders in North American History. 
Lessons 40-48. 
III. Temperance Leaders in North American History. 
Lessons 49-52. 

SECOND YEAR 

Biographical Studies from the Time of Christ to the 
Present Day: 
I. Introductory: Jesus the Leader of Men. Lessons 
1-5. 
II. Companions of Jesus. Lessons 6-13. 
III. Early Christian Leaders. Lessons 14-26. 
IV. Later Christian Leaders. Lessons 27— 39. 
V. Alexander Mackay: A Modern Missionary Leader. 
Lessons 40—52. 

PROPOSED THIRD YEAR 

I. The Life of the Man Christ Jesus. Lessons 1-39. 
II. The Life of John G. Paton. Lessons 40-52. 
III. Temperance Studies to be included in I and II. 

PROPOSED FOURTH YEAR 

Studies in Christian Living: 

I. The Text-Book of the Christian Life — The Bible. 
II. Some Fundamental Principles of the Christian 
Life. 
III. The Organization of the Christian Life — The 
Church. 



International Graded Course 1 45 

"Biographical study is the picturing of a life. As Biographical 
such it is to be distinguished both from historical and Studies for 
from topical studies. The biographical lesson is the Adolescents 1 
setting forth of the real man as presented in the 
Scriptural or other material available as our source of 
information. It is not a historical study of the man. 
and his times; it is not an exposition of certain pas- 
sages; it is not the study of a truth illustrated by a 
man. It is impossible to picture a character without 
the historical setting, but the history is simply the 
background. Moral questions are involved in life 
studies, but the purpose is to present them in the 
concrete as embodied in conduct. Later in life his- 
torical and doctrinal studies are fundamental, but 
here the end sought is a religious impulse through the 
appreciation of personality." 

The work of the second year deserves special studies of the 
notice. It begins with five lessons in which Second Year 
Christ is presented as the new and divine force 
in the world. In the remaining twenty-one les- 
sons of the first six months the influence of Jesus 
is traced in the lives of his immediate followers. 
Following this there are introduced twelve se- 
lected biographies of later Christian leaders, pre- 
sented in chronological order from the time of 
the apostles to the present day, the purpose 
being to show the continuity of Christ's lead- 
ership and the continued presence of the Holy 
Spirit as the transforming force in human life 
and activity; and to show also the abiding fel- 
lowship of the Christian faith, thus inspiring the 
pupils to place themselves in line with the tri- 
umphal onward march of the kingdom. These 
biographical lessons are followed in the closing 
three months of the year by a course of twelve 
lessons on the life and work of a modern mis- 



1 Statement of the Graded Lessons Conference, which prepared 
the Course for the International Lesson Committee. 



Memory 
Work and 
Collateral 
Reading 



The Senior 
Course 



I46 The Graded Sunday School 

sionary leader, Alexander Mackay. The aim of 
this longer study of the life of a single person is 
the more minute analysis of the character under 
consideration and the more definite application 
of the study to the process of character build- 
ing in the pupil. It is intended also that this 
more careful analysis of a single character shall 
prepare the pupil for the nine months study of 
the life of Christ, which immediately follows. 

A selected number of Bible masterpieces are 
indicated for memorization during each year. 
These passages take the place of the usually dis- 
connected verses assigned with each of the les- 
sons in some of the earlier series. In addition to 
the memoriter work, the pupils are to be en- 
couraged to read selections from the Bible and 
other literature as collateral reading. 

SENIOR COURSE 

Only the first year's lessons of the Senior 
Course have been issued thus far. As these studies 
are intended for pupils of seventeen years of 
age, the aim of the course takes into account only 
students of this age. That aim as stated in the 
printed outline is : 

1. To lead the pupil to see life in proper perspective 
from the Christian point of view, and to aid him in 
nnding his place and part in/ the world's work. 2. To 
lead the pupil, through frank conference touching 
himself, his limitations and his relations to the king- 
dom of God, to a realization of the claims of Christ 
as Saviour and Lord, and of his service as the true 
basis of successful living. 

The outline of the material for the course falls 
under four heads, as follows: 



International Graded Course I47 

I. The World as a Field for Christian Service. 
Lessons 1-26. 
II. The Problems of Youth in Social Life. Lessons 
2 7-39- 
III. The Book of Ruth. Lessons 40-42. 
IV. The Epistle of James. Lessons 43-52. 

Courses for the succeeding years of the senior 
age are under consideration, and will be an- 
nounced later. 

An examination of the detailed outline for First Year 
the studies of this course will reveal something in Detai1 
of the spirit and method of work for the first 
senior year. 

FIRST YEAR IN DETAIL 
In accordance with the aims of this Course, the 
lessons are selected to meet the special needs of first 
year Senior pupils. It is presupposed that most of 
the pupils have been in the Sunday school through 
the previous courses, and that the appeals for service 
and for the adjustment of personal religion to actual 
conditions of life will be made on this basis. 

For recent recruits and for those who have not 
openly confessed Christ as Saviour, it is urged that 
the social aspect of these lessons and the outlook on 
life be utilized as a point of contact to emphasize the 
necessity for personal surrender to Christ as Saviour 
and Lord. 

FIRST QUARTER 

Bible Readings for the First Quarter: The 
Training of Moses for his Life Work: Exod. 2. 
1 to 4. 18; Acts 7. 20-36; Heb. 11. 23-29. 

I. The World as a Field for Christian Service. 

Lessons 1-26 

A. Opportunity, Inspiration, and Challenge of 

the World To-day. Lessons 1-7. 

1. The Kingdom of God on Earth: (a) The Pro- 

phetic Vision, (b) Jesus's Ideal of the Kingdom. 

(a) Isa. 2. 2-4; 4. 2-6; Rev. 21. 1-8; 22. 1-5. 

(b) Luke 4. 18-21; 10. 25-28; Matt. 11. 2-6. 

2. The Needs of the World: Physical, Mental, and 

Spiritual Welfare. Matt. 9.35-38; Luke 4 . 1 6-2 1 ; 
Mark 6. 34; James 1. 27; Acts 4. 32-37. 



148 The Graded Sunday School 

3. How the Needs of the World are Met* (a) By 

Personal Sacrifice and Principle, (b) By Divi- 
sion of Labor, (c) In Modern Life by the Home, 
Church, Voluntary Agencies, Civic Agencies. 
Matt. 16. 21-28: Rom. 12. 9-21; Acts 6. 1-6; 
2 Tim. 1. 3-5; 3. 14, 15; Eph. 4. 11-16; Rom. 
13. 1-8. 

4. The Standard of Success. Matt. 6. 19-34; 

Prov. 3. 13—20; Luke 12. 13—21. 

5. The Challenge to the Individual. Gen. 12. 1-3; 

Deut. 31. 23; Josh. 1. 1-9; Matt. 4. 19; 5. 13-16. 

6. The Kingdom and the World's Work. Eccl. 9. 

10a; Prov. 22. 29; Matt. 25. 14-30; Gal. 6. 7-10. 

7. The Significance of Youth; or, The Strategic 

Relation of Youth to Life and the 
World's Needs. Eccl. 1 1. 9 to 12. 1 ; 1 Tim. 4. 
12; 1 Kings 3. 5-15; 12. 1— ii, Daniel 1. 

B. Preparation of the Individual to Meet 
the Need of the World. Lessons 8-10 

8. Physical Preparation: Sound body, well trained, 

with Senses developed. 1 Sam. 16. 12; 17. 34-36, 
49; Psa. 18. 29-35; I sa - 4°- 31; 1 Cor. 6. 12-20. 

9. Intellectual Preparation : Strong, well-bal- 

anced, alert intellect, the ready servant of the 
will; ability to make distinctions and to ex- 
press oneself. Exod. 4. 14-16; 1 Kings 4. 29- 
34; Luke 2. 52; 1 Tim. 4. 13-15; Heb. 5. 12-14. 

10. Spiritual Preparation. Isaiah 6; Matt. 3. 13 to 

4. 11; Gal. 1. 11-17. 

C. Specific Opportunities for Service. 
Lessons 11-15 

11. (Boys) Opportunities for Service through In- 

dustrial and Agricultural Life. Gen. 2. 15: 
Prov. 27. 23; 1 Kings 19. 19; 2 Chron. 2; Acts 
18. 2, 3; Mark 6. 3. (Girls) Housekeeping, 
Cooking, and Nursing. Prov. 31, 10-31; Titus 

2.4, 5- 

12. (Boys) Commercial Life. Amos 8. 4-7; Luke 19. 

1 1-26. (Girls) Home-making and Motherhood. 
Exod. 2. 1-10; Luke 1. 46-56; 2 Tim. 3. 14-17. 

13. (Boys) Professional Life. Jer. 22. 16; Amos 5. 

6-15; Col. 4. 14; Titus 3. 13; Isa. 10. 1-4; Deut. 
1. 17. (Girls) Teachng and Social Life. Luke 
10. 38-42; John 12. 1-8. 



International Graded Course 149 

SECOND QUARTER 

Bible Readings for the Second Quarter: The 
training of Paul for his life work: Acts 22. 
1-21; 2 Cor. 11. 22 to 12. 10; Gal. 1. n to 2. 10. 

14. (Boys) Public Life, i Sam. 12. 1-5; 1 Kings 3. 

4-10. (Girls) Commercial, Secretarial, and 
Other Occupations. Judg. 4. 4-10; 1 Kings 
10. 1-10; Acts 16. 14. 

15. Service through Voluntary and Civic Agen- 

cies; Promotion of Public Health, Protec- 
tion, Child-Saving. Job 29; Matt. 25. 31-46. 

D. Special Opportunities for Service through 

the Church. Lessons 16-21 

16. (Boys) Christian Preachers. Isa. 6. 8; Luke 10. 

1, 2; Rom. 10. 13-15; 1 Tim. 3. 1-7; 2 Tim. 4. 2. 
(Girls) Christian Workers and Pastors' As- 
sistants. Luke 8. 1-3; Acts 18. 24-28; 21. 8, 9; 
Rom. 16. 1-6, 12, 13; Phil. 4. 2, 3. 

17. Teachers of the Christian Religion. Deut. 6. 

4-9; Ezra 7. 10; Neh. 8. 1-3; Acts 8. 26-40. 

18. Champions of Good Citizenship. Jer. 29. 4-7; 

Neh. 13. 15-22; Luke 3. 7-14; Acts 19. 35-41; 
22. 25—29; Rom. 13. 1—8. 

19. Pathfinders of the Frontier (Home Missions). 

Mark 7. 24, 31; Acts 1. 8; 8. 4-8. 

20. Ministers of Healing (Medical Missions) . Matt. 

4. 23; 10. 1-8; Acts 3. 1-10. 

21. Christian Leaders in Every Land (Foreign 

Missions). Matt. 28. 16-20; Acts 8. 4-8; 13. 
1-4; Rom. 10. 11-15. 

E. Finding One's Place in the World's Work. 

Lessons 22-26. 

22. Self-Examination: What am I fitted to do ? How- 

can I ascertain my special aptitudes and defi- 
ciencies? The bearing of family history; one's 
own personal history and desires; experiences 
in trying different tasks ; the advice of intimate 
and trustworthy friends. 1 Cor. 12. 1-11. 

23. Choosing One's Place: Considering my own apti- 

tudes and deficiencies, in what line of service 
would I probably be most successful? 1 Cor. 
12. 12—31. 

24. Qualifying for Efficiency. Luke. 2, 51, 52; 

Gal. 1. 11-24; 2 Tim. 1.6, 7; 2. 15; James 1. 5-8 
3- 17.18. 



1 50 The Graded Sunday School 

25. Dedicating One's Leisure, i Sam. 16. 16-23; 

Mark 6. 30-34; Acts 18. 24-26. 

26. Where to Begin: At home; in the church; 

in the community. Eccl. 9. io; Mark 5. 18-20; 
Luke 10. 38-42; James 1. 27; Mai. 3. 16, 17. 

THIRD QUARTER 

II. The Problems of Youth in Social Life 
Lessons 27-39 
Bible Reading for the Third Quarter: The Ser- 
mon on the Mount. Matthew 5-7. 

27. The Social Significance of Youth (Psychology 

of Adolescence in its Social Outreach). 
Prov. 1. 7-19; Eccl. 11. 9 to 12. 1; Dan. 1. 

28. Habit and Its Control over Life. Jer. 13. 23; 

Prov. 22. 6; Matt. 7. 20-27 5 Luke 4. 16; Acts 3. 1. 

29. Honesty and Justice to Oneself. Prov. 3. 7; 

Psa. 24. 3, 4; Luke 6. 41, 42 ; Rom. 12. 3; James 
1. 22-27; I Cor. 10. 12; 1 John 1. 5—10; 2. 3, 4. 

30. Honesty and Justice to Others. Lev. 19. 35, 

36; Deut. 25. 13-18; Amos 8. 4-14; Mic. 6. 8; 
Matt. 18. 21-35; 1 John 4. 20. 21. 

31. Truthfulness of Speech. Prov. 16. 13; Zech. 

8. 16; Psa. 15. 1; 19. 14; Matt. 5. 33~37; Col. 3. 9. 

32. Fidelity in One's Daily Task as it Affects 

the Community. Prov. 10. 9; Neh. 5. 14-18; 
Luke 16. 10-13; Acts 20. 34, 35; 2 Thess. 
3. 6-10. 

33. Liquor, Tobacco, and Opiates a Social Men- 

ace. Prov. 23. 20, 21, 29-35; I sa - 2 8. 1-13; 
1 Cor. 10. 23, 33. 

34. Unclean and Evil Speaking and Profanity. 

Exod. 20. 7; Psa. 10. 7, 8; Matt. 12. 35-37; 
Eph. 4. 29-32; 5. 3-14; James 3. 

35. High Ideals of Each Sex Regarding the 

Other. (For boys and girls in separate classes.) 
Gen. 1. 27; Gen. 39; Prov. 31. 10-31; 1 Cor. 6. 
15-19; Matt. 5. 27-32. 

36. The Use and Abuse of Pleasure and Recre- 

ation. Eccl. 3. 1-13; Neh. 8.9-18; Luke 8. 14; 
1 Tim. 5. 6; 2 Tim. 3. 1-5. 

37. Friends and Companions. Ruth 1. 15-18; 1 Sam. 

19. 1-7; 20. 1-25; Prov. 17. 17; 18. 24; John 15. 

13-17- 

38. The Attitude Toward Those Younger. Gen. 44. 

14—34; Exod. 2. 1-10. 

39. For Self or for Others? (Review). 



International Graded Course 1 3 1 

FOURTH QUARTER 
THE BOOKS OF RUTH AND JAMES 

It is the purpose of the Fourth Quarter to introduce 
the pupils to a study of two short books of the Bible as 
books. The choice of Ruth and James is based upon 
the typical character of these gems of biblical literature. 

Bible Readings for the Fourth Quarter: The books 
to be studied. 

III. The Book of Ruth. Lessons 40-42 

40. Life in the Times of Ruth. 

41. Ruth, Faithful in Trial. Chapters 1 and 2. 

42. Ruth, Beloved and Honored. Chapters 3 and 4. 

IV. The Book of James. Lessons 43-52 

43. James, the Author of the Book. Matt. 13. 55; 

Mark 6. 3 ; Acts 12. 17; Gal. 2.9; Acts 21. 17-25. 

44. The Character and Purpose of the Book. Read 

the whole book. 

45. How to Meet Trial and Temptation. James 1. 

1-18; 5. 7— 11, 13-18. 

46. The Control of the Tongue. James 1. 19-27; 

3. 1— 12 ; 4. 11, 12 ; 5. 12. 

47. Respect of Persons. James 2. 1-13. 

48. Faith and Works. James 2. 14-26; 1. 22-25; 4. 17. 

49. Wisdom from Above. James 1. 5-8; 3. 13-18; 

4. 1-10. 

50. The Abuse of Wealth. James 5. 1-6; 1. 9-1 1; 

2. 1—9. 

51. Warnings and Encouragements. James 4. 1-10, 

13—17; 5. 13—20. 

52. Review. 

It was hardly to be expected that all the Sun- Gradual 
day schools of America would be prepared at 
once to introduce and successfully conduct this 
new graded course of instruction. For a short 
time, therefore, the different denominations will 
continue to publish also a separate lesson uniform 
for all grades as heretofore. This policy cannot, 
however, in the nature of the case, continue long 
in force. Viewed from every standpoint, it is to 
be hoped that the period of transition from the 
old system to the new will be brief. 



Transition 



XIV 



Responsibility 



GRADING THE LOCAL SCHOOL 

a Problem The problem of grading the local Sunday 

of supervision school is really but a part of the larger problem 
of supervision, and might well be considered with 
other matters under this more general heading. 
Its importance in the plan and purpose of this 
volume, however, justifies a separate treatment. 
For this reason the discussion of grading is taken 
up at this point, and consideration of the subject 
of general supervision is reserved for a subse- 
quent chapter. 

Responsibility in the matter of grading rests 
jointly upon all persons in any way officially con- 
nected with the management of the school. The 
school or church board or committee, the pastor, 
superintendent, officers, and teachers all share in 
the responsibility. It is not the affair of any one 
person excepting in so far as one individual may 
realize the need and feel the responsibility more 
than others. Usually this is the case, for in the 
Sunday school as elsewhere individual initiative 
is the starting point of progress and improvement. 
In every ungraded, partially or poorly graded 
school there is an opportunity for some one to 
render a real service to the church, the commu- 
nity, and the cause of religious education by sug- 
gesting the advantage of grading or of more thor- 
oughly grading the school. The person with the 
vision of a better order of things may be the 
pastor or superintendent, or it may be an obscure 
152 



Opportunity; 
Obligation 



Grading the Local School 1 53 

teacher in the Primary Department; it may be 
the individual who has been longest connected 
with the school, or it may be the person most re- 
cently elected to membership in the board or com- 
mittee. But, whoever it is, there comes with the 
vision an obligation, both personal and imperative, 
to do all that is possible to bring about the de- 
sired change and improvement. 

The suggestion to grade the Sunday school create 
having been made, it may be necessary as a pre- Sentiment 
liminary step to create intelligent sentiment in 
favor of the proposed change, both in the school 
itself and among those officially and otherwise 
concerned in its management. With the leaflet 
literature bearing on this subject now available, 
and the interest of denominational and other 
publishers and Sunday-school editors in graded 
courses, there should be no difficulty in making 
clear to everyone the desirability and necessity 
of "up-to-date" grading and organization in the 
school. 

A campaign of education in the matter will in Enlist 
any event be of great value. Even where no Co °P eration 
serious opposition is encountered it is desirable 
to acquaint the entire Sunday-school constituency 
with the purposes and plans of the school board 
or committee, and to enlist the intelligent coopera- 
tion of all concerned in the enterprise. "The 
good," says a learned philosopher of the present, 
"is the activities in which all men participate so 
that the powers of each are called out, put to 
use, and reinforced." 1 The cooperation of all 
the Sunday-school forces in the inauguration and 

1 Dewey, Ethics, p. 316. 



Define the 
Standard 



Distinguishing 
Feature 



154 Th e Graded Sunday School 

conduct of a graded course of study is essential 
to its largest success. The curriculum which is 
merely superimposed upon the school by an ex- 
ternal authority, however commendable in itself, 
is likely to be a misfit if not an actual incumbrance 
to progress. Where pastor, superintendent, 
teachers, and board or committee work in har- 
mony the interest and cooperation of pupils and 
parents will not be difficult to secure. 

Let the standard of grading be clearly defined. 
One difficulty met with in discussions of the sub- 
ject in the past has been that the term "graded" 
has meant several different things. Sometimes 
the term has been applied to schools in which the 
children were grouped in classes according to 
size, age, or general ability, although the same 
lesson was taught to all classes. Sometimes 
schools divided into departments have assumed 
this title, although no careful consideration was 
given to differences in the age and mental attain- 
ments of the pupils. Again, the use of so-called 
graded helps, Primary, Junior, Intermediate, and 
Senior lesson quarterlies, all treating the same 
uniform lesson, has given rise to the usage of 
the term "graded school." Obviously it is essen- 
tial that there should be an understanding as to 
exactly what is meant by grading ; that the stand- 
ard of grading to be reached be clearly defined. 

In the light of what has been said in Part I of 
this manual concerning the educational principles 
which underlie graded religious instruction there 
can be no doubt as to the distinguishing feature 
or fact by which a truly graded school is marked 
off from those that are such only in name. A 



Grading the Local School 



"55 



school may be termed graded when the subject- 
matter or material of instruction used is suited 
to the age, capacity, and need of the pupils. This 
presupposes a grouping of the pupils into classes 
and departments. What these should be has been 
set forth concretely and in detail in Chapter VII. 

There are two methods by which the grading Two Methods 
of a school may be accomplished. One of these 
may appropriately be termed the simultaneous or 
abrupt method ; the other is best described as the 
gradual method. Which of the two methods shall 
be employed in the actual grading of a given 
school must be determined by local circum- 
stances and conditions. 

The simultaneous method of grading aims to simultaneous 
inaugurate a complete system of graded instruc- Method 
tion for the whole school on a given Sunday. It 
parts abruptly with the past, upsets the old and 
introduces the new order of things at a single 
stroke. Pupils are reclassified and enrolled, 
teachers reassigned, and a new course of instruc- 
tion entered upon, much as if an entirely new 
school were being opened and work started for 
the first time. 

The successful employment of this method Preparation 
requires that officers and teachers shall be thor- 
oughly prepared for the change in advance. 
Where the previous records of the school show 
the ages of the pupils and are in other respects 
sufficiently complete to make it possible to fore- 
cast the approximate number of pupils that will 
be assigned to each grade and department, the 
teachers should be selected and assigned to their 
places before the day for introducing the new sys- 



Adopt a 
Course of 
Study 



156 The Graded Sunday School 

tern arrives. These assignments should be made 
sufficiently long in advance to give the teachers 
and department superintendents or supervisors 
time to thoroughly familiarize themselves with the 
work of their respective grades or departments. 
Concerning the matter of choosing the teachers 
suggestions will be found in the following chapter 
on "Supervising the Graded School." Together 
the officers and teachers of the school should work 
out their plans on paper before attempting to in- 
troduce them, in order that they may see the end 
from the beginning. 

Among the first essentials in undertaking to 
grade a school is the adoption of a suitable 
course of study. No school can go far astray in 
adopting the graded courses and text-books pre- 
pared by the denomination with which the school 
is affiliated. A better way, however, would be to 
appoint a competent committee which shall care- 
fully examine all of the better courses available 
and recommend for adoption the course that 
seems best suited to the needs of the school. The 
course or courses chosen should be placed in the 
hands of the teachers sufficiently early to enable 
them to familiarize themselves therewith prior to 
the inauguration of the new system. 

A new enrollment will in most cases be neces- 
sary. This also should, if possible, be made in 
advance of the date set for launching the new 
system. The enrollment blanks when filled out, 
in addition to giving the name and residence of 
the pupil, should contain such other items of in- 
formation as may be needed as a basis for assign- 
ing each pupil to his proper grade. A suitable 



Grading the Local School 157 

enrollment form would be the following, printed 
on a card of convenient size : 

ENROLLMENT FORM 

Date 

Full Name 

Age at Nearest Birthday 

Grade or Year in Public School 

If not in Public School, give Grade and Age at Time of 

Leaving 

Have You been Baptized ? 

Have You Joined the Church ? 

Name of Parent or Guardian 

Home Address 

When the day set apart for the introduction Assigning 
of the graded courses arrives, let the pupils be p u p»is 
assigned to their new grade classes immediately 
upon their arrival at the school. If the new en- 
rollment has not yet been made, this will, after a 
brief opening service, constitute the first item on 
the program for the day. Let all pupils report 
for enrollment to the department to which their 
age and place in public-school work entitles them. 
Thus all pupils four and five years old will be 
escorted to the Beginners Department; those six, 
seven, and eight years old, or in the first three 
grades of the public school, will report to the 
Primary Department ; those nine, ten, eleven, and 
twelve, or those in Grades IV to VII, inclusive, 
in the public school, will report to the Junior 
Department; those thirteen to sixteen years of 
age, to the Intermediate Department; and those 



158 The Graded Sunday School 

over sixteen, or those who have completed their 
High-school work, to the Senior Department. 
All persons twenty-one years of age and over 
should be enrolled in the Adult Department. 

Adjustments In the Beginners and Primary Departments it 

will be necessary to send the enrollment blanks 
home to be filled out by parent or guardian. This 
will cause some delay in making the final adjust- 
ments in grading, though sufficient information 
to enable the department superintendent to cor- 
rectly place the individual pupils can in most 
cases be gathered by oral questions. Preco- 
cious pupils and those who are backward, as 
shown by their public-school grades, should be 
treated in much the same way as in the public 
schools, being placed with the grade group in 
which the work best meets their needs, or in 
special classes as suggested in Chapter VII. 

in the Grades The assignment of pupils to departments and 
grades being accomplished, each teacher should 
at once take charge of the group assigned to his 
or her particular grade, prepared to engage the 
class in some profitable and interesting employ- 
ment. The character of the work on the first 
Sunday will differ somewhat in different grades 
and departments. Where the course of study is 
dated and begins, as most of the dated courses do, 
with the first Sunday in October, the assignments 
to the new grades should be made a week in 
advance. In that case a general talk about the 
work of the grade for the ensuing year will be 
an appropriate exercise for the day of enrollment. 
Some teachers will prefer to begin with a written 
exercise that shall engage the attention of the 



Grading the Local School I 59 

pupils and that at the same time may serve as a 
test of their general biblical knowledge. Ele- 
mentary teachers as a rule will prefer a story or 
some general subject that will serve as a means 
of getting acquainted with the pupils. 

In all cases where the course of study calls for First Lesson 
definite work for each Sunday, and where the Assi s nment 
date of enrollment coincides with that fixed for 
the first lesson of the new course, the work ap- 
pointed for that day should be taken up, even if 
it must be in briefer form and with some feature 
or portion omitted. In grades where text-books 
are used these should be given out and their pur- 
pose and use explained. The assignment of work 
for the next Sunday should be preceded by an 
explanatory statement in which the teacher goes 
over with the class the work to be assigned, point- 
ing out the things of importance to be noted in 
study and thoroughly arousing the interest of 
the pupils in their first task. 

Some schools will not find it practicable to Gradual 
grade by the simultaneous method just described. Method 
In most places the changes involved in intro- 
ducing a thoroughly graded curriculum come 
about only gradually. One department or divi- 
sion at a time will be easier to handle. Often the 
first year's work of several departments may be 
introduced simultaneously, all the grades in the 
department being required to take the first year's 
work of the new course of study for the depart- 
ment. In such cases the grade groups may still be 
taught separately, the older pupils being per- 
mitted to advance more rapidly, to go more thor- 
oughly into the subject, or to carry additional 



In Higher 
Grades 



Begin at the 
Bottom 



The Primary 



l6o The Graded Sunday School 

supplemental work. This will enable them to 
complete the course for the department in a 
shorter time. 

In the Secondary and Advanced Divisions of 
the school especially the gradual method of grad- 
ing will work better than the simultaneous or 
abrupt method, since in the graded courses for 
these divisions the work of each grade really 
constitutes a prerequisite for the work of the 
next. The assignment of a pupil to a given 
grade within any given department above the 
Junior presupposes that the work of all preced- 
ing grades in the department, as well as the work 
of the preceding department or its equivalent, has 
already been completed. 

In the actual working out of the gradual 
method of grading the natural place to begin is 
at the bottom. Since in the Beginners Depart- 
ment the matter of sequence in the subject- 
material of the lessons for the first and second 
years' work is of secondary importance, and the 
first year's work is not an essential prerequisite 
to the second, it will be convenient to introduce 
both years' work simultaneously, separating the 
pupils into two groups, including those of four 
and those of five years respectively. If the de- 
partment is small, or if for any reason the whole 
department must be .taught by one teacher, the 
first and second years' courses may alternate with 
each other. 

In the Primary Department all three years' 
work may as a rule be most advantageously 
begun at the same time. In properly graded 
primary material the work designated for six- 



Grading the Local School 161 

year-old pupils in the first grade will be found 
too simple for seven and eight-year-old pupils. 
At the same time, the work of the first grade is 
not so essential a prerequisite to the work of the 
second, or the work of the second to that of the 
third, as is the case in the more advanced depart- 
ments. The simultaneous introduction of the 
work for all three grades of the Primary will 
therefore be the better plan. 

The Junior Department, comprising Grades junior 
IV-VII, ages 9-12, forms a transition period De P artment 
between Primary and High-school ages. There 
will be a marked difference between the kind of 
work done in the Junior Department and that 
done in the Primary. In the first year of the 
Junior the simple story lessons of the Primary 
give way to biographical lessons from the Old and 
New Testaments, chronologically arranged. The 
stories of the first year (Grade IV) thus become 
a more essential prerequisite for the work of the 
succeeding grades. In this department it will 
be well to permit all the pupils in the department 
to start together, teaching each grade separately, 
but allowing the older ones to advance more 
rapidly and cover the ground more thoroughly. 
In developing the work the peculiar needs of each 
group should be taken into account. 

In the Intermediate and Senior Departments intermediate 
the same method may be observed. Where this and senior 
method of gradual grading of the department epa 
is followed it will be necessary as the grading 
proceeds to make numerous adjustments between 
different grades until all the grades of the course 
are represented by one or more classes doing the 



Advanced 
Division 



Gaps in 
Grading 



162 The Graded Sunday School 

work of that particular grade in the specified 
way and time. 

In the Advanced Division of the school the 
courses of study chosen for Adult classes should 
be suited to the peculiar interests and needs 
of the class groups. When the time arrives 
when class groups regularly enter the Ad- 
vanced Division of the school from the Sec- 
ondary Division, after having come up through 
the grades of the Intermediate and Senior De- 
partments, provision should be made for such 
groups as desire to continue in more advanced 
lines of study. On the whole, it will require about 
as many years to thoroughly grade each depart- 
ment of the Secondary and Advanced Divisions 
as there are grades in the department. 

In most schools there will be gaps in the final 
grading caused by the fact that not all the ages 
are represented in the enrollment each year. This 
will not be serious and should in no wise disturb 
the system of grading as a whole. 



XV 



SUPERVISING THE GRADED SCHOOL 

The Sunday school is not an independent or- under church 
ganization, but an integral part of a larger whole., Contro1 
the local church. It is the educational arm, the 
training department of the church. Independent 
and so-called "union" Sunday schools as a rule 
are short-lived and seldom vigorous or highly 
efficient. Denominational and church supervision 
makes for permanency, strength, and educational 
efficiency. The question is not whether the school 
shall or shall not be under the direction and 
guidance of the church; but rather what shall 
be the character and the method of the control 
which the church exercises. 

The relation of the Sunday school to the congregational 
church is determined in each denomination by Interest 
the organic laws of the church itself. Within 
the statutory limitations thus imposed by the 
denomination the government of the school 
should be as democratic as possible. The church 
membership or congregation should have some 
voice in the affairs of the school, especially 
in matters pertaining to the providing of better 
facilities for carrying on the work of the school. 
Taking the whole membership of the church 
habitually into counsel is the best way of creating 
church and community sentiment in favor of pro- 
gressive methods and better facilities for work. 

The organic law of the denomination in most 
cases provides for an educational or Sunday- 
163 



164 The Graded Sunday School 

Educational or school committee, charged with the duty of in a 
Sunday-school general way looking after the special interests and 
Committee neec j s f the school. Sometimes this committee 
representing the church is an active factor in 
the supervision of the school. This it will be 
in every case where care is taken that men or 
women actively interested in education and in the 
religious training of children and young people 
are placed on the committee. 
Sunday-school The more immediate control of Sunday-school 
Board interests is usually vested in a Sunday-school 

board, consisting of the officers and teachers of 
the school, together with the pastor and educa- 
tional or Sunday-school committee and such other 
persons as the laws of the church or denomina- 
tion may designate. The duties and functions 
of this board in relation to the Sunday school 
are much the same as those of a city or town 
board of education to the public schools of the 
community. The manifest tendency in public- 
school administration is to make the board of 
education small, in the interests of .general effi- 
ciency. A large board usually proves unwieldy 
and the greater division of responsibility has not 
proven advantageous. The same is true of a 
large Sunday-school board. There is grave 
danger that perfunctory or groove methods of 
attending to the affairs of the school will obtain, 
especially when the board, as is usually the case, 
is a self-perpetuating body. In most cases a small 
committee of from seven to thirteen members, 
vested with full authority, subject only to the 
congregational meeting or the official board of 
the church, will do better work. 



Supervising the Graded School 1 65 

The chief executive officer of the school is the The 
superintendent. His work usually is that of an superintendent 

. .. r , t 1 • 1 1 a Supervisor 

executive director of the school simply; rarely of instruction 
is he at the same time a supervisor of instruction. 
The difference between the two is this : A super- 
visor of instruction pays attention to the method 
and content of instruction given in the several 
grades and departments. He observes the class 
work of his teachers, criticises their methods, 
and offers suggestions. He examines the work 
of the pupils, frequently tests a class, receives 
regular reports and lesson plans from his 
teachers. He is an educational director in 
the real sense of the term. But this has not 
been the work of many Sunday-school superin- 
tendents. Ordinarily the superintendent merely 
presides at the sessions of the school, directs its 
programs, sees that no class is without a teacher, 
makes the opening and closing remarks, and 
keeps the machinery of the school oiled and in 
running order. The ideal superintendent will do 
both. The superintendent of a graded school 
must do both unless the work of supervision be 
made the duty of a special officer appointed for 
that work exclusively, with some such title as 
Educational Director or Supervisor of Instruc- 
tion. The work of this special officer, if such be 
appointed, will be fully as important as that of 
the superintendent. 

The qualifications essential in a superintendent, Qualifications 
who is at the same time the supervising head of 
a graded Sunday school, are therefore educational 
as well as executive. Not that the superintendent 
of the school himself shall be a better teacher of 



1 66 The Graded Sunday School 

Beginners or Juniors than the teachers in these 
respective departments; he should, however, be 
experienced in teaching in some one or more de- 
partments or in public-school work. Added to 
this teaching experience he should have an intelli- 
gent interest in and appreciation of educational 
matters, both religious and secular. He should 
be familiar with approved methods of teaching 
and of school administration. He should be 
competent to judge of the relative merits of the 
various courses and text-books of religious in- 
struction available. He should know intimately 
the course pursued in his school and be prepared 
to suggest necessary modifications and adjust- 
ments to meet local needs. He should be familiar 
with the more important principles of religious 
pedagogy and be able to wisely direct the read- 
ing of his teachers in their effort toward self- 
improvement. Where these qualifications are 
present executive ability will seldom be lacking. 
May Be one There is no intrinsic reason, therefore, why the 

educational director in a graded Sunday school 
should not at the same time be the executive 
superintendent, though in view of the fact that a 
majority of superintendents at present lack the 
educational qualifications just enumerated there 
are many reasons why the superintendent of the 
traditional type should not be the educational 
director for the school. If the educational direc- 
tor is also the superintendent, and the duties of 
the twofold office are more than one person can 
well discharge, the details of the executive work, 
including that of presiding over the sessions of 
the school, may well be intrusted to an assistant. 



Person 



Supervising the Graded School 1 67 

The superintendent of the school being also Powers and 
the educational director, and qualified to be this Dutles 
in fact as well as in name, should be given large 
power, and then held responsible accordingly. He 
should have the right, in consultation with the 
pastor, to nominate, if not actually appoint, his 
division superintendents and his teachers. He 
should prepare the estimate of the annual budget 
for the school and submit this, together with his 
recommendations, to the board or committee for 
its approval. He should, in consultation with his 
division and department superintendents, recom- 
mend text-books, courses of study, and neces- 
sary articles of equipment. As educational direc- 
tor he will further see that the course of study is 
carried out properly, frequently testing results 
of the work. He will keep the pastor fully ad- 
vised concerning the affairs of the school in its 
various departments, and will hold himself per- 
sonally responsible for the atmosphere and spir- 
itual life of the school. 

Next to the pastor the superintendent of the Appointment; 
Sunday school is the most important officer in compensation 
the church. His work should be regarded in the 
same professional light as that of the director of 
music, only, if anything, more highly. Great care 
should consequently be exercised in his selection, 
and his services should not, as a rule, be expected 
without compensation. Ordinarily the superin- 
tendent should be nominated by the school or 
educational committee in consultation with the 
pastor, and elected by the same board or other 
local authority which officially extends the call 
to the pastor and chooses other salaried officers 



Division 
Superintend- 
ents 



Department 
Superintend- 
ents 



168 The Graded Sunday School 

of the church. No method of appointment short 
of this links the office closely enough with the 
center of church control or comports with its 
inherent dignity. 

What has been said concerning the essential 
qualifications of the school superintendent ap- 
plies in a narrower sense also to the superintend- 
ents of the separate divisions of the school. In 
large schools, with an enrollment of more than 
five hundred, each of the main divisions, Ele- 
mentary, Secondary, and Advanced, should be in 
charge of a division superintendent. In medium- 
sized schools, with an enrollment of from three 
to five hundred, the superintendent of the school 
may well be the superintendent of either the 
Secondary or Advanced Division, with a super- 
intendent for each of the other divisions. In 
small schools, with an enrollment under three 
hundred, both Secondary and Advanced Divi- 
sions may be under his immediate charge, with a 
special superintendent only for the Elementary 
Division of the school. 

In the Elementary Division, including the Be- 
ginners, Primary, and Junior Departments, where 
a more careful grading has been longest in vogue, 
each department has usually been in charge of 
its own superintendent. These department super- 
intendents are themselves teachers. Under the 
old system of lessons, which provided only one 
lesson for the department and school, the super- 
intendent often taught the lesson for the day to 
the entire department. A number of teaching 
assistants attended to various matters of detail 
and took charge of smaller groups during the 



Supervising the Graded School 169 

period devoted to manual or other special work. 
Under the graded system, which provides sepa- 
rate and distinct work for each grade group, the 
department superintendent teaches one of the 
grade groups and at the same time supervises the 
work of the other teachers in the department. 

The method of securing teachers has much to Selecting 
do with their efficiency. Well-meaning and ear- Teachers 
nest volunteers are sometimes more willing than 
capable. But the fact that the best qualified per- 
sons often do not volunteer is no proof that their 
services cannot be secured. Teachers should be 
"hand-picked"; the importance and professional 
character of their office demands this. They 
should be chosen for particular grades, not just as 
teachers in general. A good Primary teacher 
might fail utterly with adults, and vice versa. The 
educational qualifications demanded will be dif- 
ferent for teachers of different grades. In the 
selection of teachers for the grade groups within 
a department the superintendent of the depart- 
ment should be consulted. As a matter of gen- 
eral principle it would be better to have fewer 
teachers and larger classes than smaller classes 
with poor teaching. 

The appointment of teachers should be for a Term of 
limited period, preferably one year. This does o ffice 
not mean that there should necessarily be fre- 
quent changes in the teaching force. It does 
mean, however, that a way should be opened for 
improving the personnel of the force by sub- 
stitution as well as by addition, and that this 
should be possible with the minimum amount of 
friction in the regular order of things. Except in 



Supervising 
the Work of 
Teachers 



Lesson Plans; 
Reports 



I70 The Graded Sunday School 

the interest of greater efficiency and better serv- 
ice changes in the teaching force should be as 
few as possible. Competent and successful Sun- 
day-school teachers should not despise their rare 
gift or bury it in a napkin. They should rather 
prize it above personal ease, magnify their office, 
and regard their work as a life interest and call- 
ing. 

The duty of supervising the work of grade 
teachers within a division or department will rest 
jointly upon the superintendent of the division 
and the supervising teacher of the department. 
Faithfulness and professional skill exercised here 
will not fail to yield rich returns. Many teachers 
fail, sometimes without realizing that they do fail, 
largely because they are left completely to them- 
selves in their work. The best teachers will wel- 
come suggestions, kindly criticisms, and occa- 
sional assistance from one more experienced and 
better trained than themselves. Others will need 
the help they may not so earnestly covet. The 
supervising teacher or superintendent of a de- 
partment must know intimately the work of each 
teacher in the department. The teachers, in turn, 
must have confidence in the superintendent. The 
latter will hold frequent and regular conferences 
with the teachers of the department, in which all 
participate, each profiting by the experiences and 
suggestions of the others. Similar conferences for 
the teachers of an entire division may be held, 
though less frequently, under the direction of the 
division superintendent. 

At these department conferences methods of 
work will be considered, lesson plans presented 



Supervising the Graded School 171 

by the several teachers will be criticised and dis- 
cussed. A lesson plan is an advance outline of a 
lesson, covering all points to be taken up and the 
order and method of their presentation. Such 
outlines are of value both in the making, in clari- 
fying the teacher's thought and purpose, and also 
when completed as a guide to the teacher in her 
presentation of the lesson. Similarly the presenta- 
tion of reports by the individual teachers at these 
department conferences and at regular intervals 
in writing will be of great value. Such reports 
should indicate the results achieved and difficul- 
ties encountered. The written reports should 
occasionally be accompanied by specimens of the 
pupils' work for permanent preservation or tem- 
porary reference. Occasionally, also, such speci- 
mens from all the grades in the division should be 
placed on exhibit, and the parents and friends 
of the pupils be invited to visit the school and 
inspect the work. 

The modification of the course of study and Modifying 
its adjustment to meet local conditions belong to g OU !" se of 
the work of supervision. Under ideal conditions 
each school or group of adjoining schools would 
make its own course. Some will be able to do 
this, and should do so, if they can improve in 
any particular upon courses available for more 
general use. Most of the courses of graded Sun- 
day-school instruction now obtainable are the out- 
growth of actual experience on the part of com- 
petent teachers. The same is true of the text- 
books offered for graded instruction. Nevertheless 
no curriculum of instruction can fit all schools in 
every detail. In almost every school the course 



\yi The Graded Sunday School 

for any given department will have to be adjusted 
in some details, being sometimes amplified be- 
cause special facilities for work are available, 
sometimes being curtailed because of the lack of 
facilities, and for other reasons. 
Latitude for The modification of the curriculum, when such 

individual j s necessary, should be undertaken jointly by 
the teachers of the department and division, in 
consultation with and under the guidance of all 
the supervising officers of the school, including 
the school superintendent. A certain latitude 
should be allowed competent teachers within 
which to exercise their own discretion in matters 
such as the relative allotment of time to certain 
features of the work, and in the use of op- 
tional supplemental materials. The individuality 
of the teacher should also find expression in the 
method of teaching. 



XVI 

SUPERVISING THE GRADED SCHOOL 
(CONTINUED) 

There are matters other than those treated in Further 
the preceding chapter that belong to the general Q uestionsin 

, , - & v . . A & , & Supervision 

problem of supervision. Among the most im- 
portant of these are included the following: 
Examinations and tests ; promotion requirements ; 
certificates and diplomas ; school, department, and 
class records; the professional preparation of 
teachers, and their improvement in service. The 
last of these will be considered separately in 
Chapter XIX; the others may be here discussed 
more briefly and in the order mentioned. 

Concerning examinations and tests it is per- Tests and 
tinent to inquire as to their purpose and value. 
What should be their character and frequency? 
By whom should they be prepared ? and how and 
by whom should they be conducted? The desir- 
ability of examinations of some kind in a graded 
Sunday school is here taken for granted. "Once 
let it be clearly recognized that the Sunday school 
exists to give real instruction in the Bible, and 
to secure real study and learning on the part of 
the pupil, and it will be seen that, so far from 
there being less reason for examinations in Sun- 
day schools than in other schools, there is, in 
fact, more reason for them." 1 



Examinations 



1 Burton and Mathews, Principles and Ideals for the Sunday 
School, p. 158. 

In the same discussion the author continues: "But it will be 
objected that the examination is precisely that feature of the public 

173 



1 74 The Graded Sunday School 

value to Pupil An examination, properly conducted, will prove 
of value primarily to the pupil himself, (i) It 
will help the pupil to organize his own knowledge 
and to gather up into one connected whole that 
which before was more or less disconnected and 
fragmentary in his mind. (2) It will tend to 
stimulate the pupil to do better and more thor- 
ough work. The fact that he is to pass an 
examination upon his work at the end of a given 
period or course will lead him almost uncon- 
sciously to prepare more carefully each succes- 
sive lesson from week to week. (3) It will reveal 
to the pupil his own strength or weakness as 
judged by his ability to recognize and master the 
essential points in his study. (4) It will furnish 
a valuable supplemental training for the pupil in 
the art of concise and clear expression, 
value to the The value of the examination to the teacher 

Teacher w iH be quite incidental. As a criterion of the 

fitness of a pupil for promotion it will in most 
cases be unnecessary. Occasionally, however, as 
when the grade group is too large to permit of 
frequent recitation on the part of each pupil, or 
in the case of exceptionally reticent pupils, the 
written test will reveal to the teacher quite unsus- 

schools which is most repugnant to the pupil, and that the intro- 
duction of the system into the Sunday school will at once create a 
dislike for the Sunday school which will drive pupils away from it. 
Undoubtedly, a system of examinations might be introduced into 
a Sunday school in such a way as to antagonize ani repel some 
pupils and even to lead some to leave the school. But we venture 
the assertion — and we speak from experience — that, with a reason- 
able degree of discretion and skill, very few pupils, if any, need be lost, 
and many will be gained. The best pupils will reioice in the change, 
because of the consequent improvement in the character of the work; 
many pupils will be held in the school, as they were before, by 
parental authority or other influence unaffected by the system of 
instruction; and wisdom in the manner of introducing the examina- 
tions will prevent the driving away of even those who would not 
be held by these other influences." — Ibid., pp. is8f. 



Supervising the Graded School 175 

pected ability, or, on the contrary, the need of 
greater personal attention or assistance on the 
part of individual pupils. 

What has just been said refers more especially Frequency 
to written examinations occurring more or less 
regularly at specified intervals. The intervals 
between such examinations should not be too long 
— perhaps never longer than three months. Fre- 
quent written tests coming unannounced between 
the stated term or quarterly examinations will 
prove advantageous both in accustoming the 
pupils to tests of this kind and in cultivating right 
habits of study. 

Much obviously depends upon the character character and 
of the examination and the way in which it is Method 
given. Aimless questioning is worse than none, 
while the questioning that is a test of memory 
merely is little better. The questions should be 
so framed as to constitute a real review of the 
main features of the work covered. The condi- 
tions should be such as to insure the greatest pos- 
sible degree of freedom on the part of the pupils. 
Both the fear of failure and the temptation to 
deceive should be as far as possible eliminated. 1 
Occasionally sets of questions may very properly 
be placed in the hands of the pupils on one Sun- 
day, to be returned, with answers, a week later, 
the use of the Bible and other accessible sources 
of information being in such cases permitted, 
personal help only being excluded. 

Ordinarily the teacher is the proper person to By whom 
prepare the questions and conduct the examina- Conducted 
tion. Granted that he is competent to teach, and 

1 Compare Prince, School Administration, pp. i6off, 



■76 



The Graded Sunday School 



Promotions 



The Basis of 
Merit 



thoroughly understands the work of his grade 
both in relation to what precedes and what im- 
mediately follows, the teacher will use to best 
advantage this valuable means of supplementing 
his regular classroom instruction. The tabu- 
lated records of stated regular examinations, 
together with the list of questions in each case, 
should be accessible at all times to the department 
superintendent and other supervising officers of 
the school. Sometimes it may be desirable for 
the department superintendent to examine the 
several grades of his department independently. 
Some schools, like the Hyde Park Baptist school 
at Chicago, appoint a regular examiner as one of 
the supervising officers of the school. 

Written examinations should never in the Sun- 
day school form the sole basis of promotion. 
Indeed, the purpose of such examinations, as 
has already been pointed out, should be quite 
other than that of furnishing the teacher with a 
convenient criterion or measuring rod of class 
progress. In Chapters VII and XVI it was sug- 
gested that in grading the school the original as- 
signment to grades be made on the basis of age 
and rank in the public school. As rapidly as pos- 
sible, however, the grading and classification of 
the Sunday school should be so adjusted that 
promotions may be made on the twofold basis 
of merit and religious maturity. 

By merit is meant the satisfactory completion 
of the work required of the pupil by the course 
of study for a given grade. The merit obtainable 
by the individual pupil will always be a relative 
and not an absolute quantity. It is his position 



Supervising the Graded School 1 77 

in relation to the average of his class or 
grade. This will be determined by the teacher 
from his record of class work, including gen- 
eral interest and participation in the recitation 
or other lesson exercise, weekly written work 
other than examinations, manual work where 
such is required, and examinations. In view 
of the fact that the graded Sunday school 
is an educational institution with an educational 
purpose and employing educational methods, the 
actual satisfactory accomplishment of the work 
outlined for a given grade must constitute one of 
the major elements in the requirements for pro- 
motion. 

Another element of perhaps equal importance Basis of 
is that of the degree of religious maturity at- Religious 

, , , m x ,. r . . Maturity 

tamed by the pupil, in religious training, even 
more than in general culture and secular educa- 
tion, the home of the pupil plays a determining 
part. Home and other week-day influences will 
invariably either strengthen or counteract and 
weaken the impressions made and purposes 
formed in the Sunday school. Favored by home 
influences, some pupils will develop more rapidly 
than others in the religious life. This fact should 
be taken into account in promotion. When there 
is a question in the case of any individual pupil, 
the teacher should refer the case, with his recom- 
mendation, to the department or division superin- 
tendent. Ultimate authority in promotion or 
other changes in grading and the placing of 
pupils should rest with the general superintendent 
or educational supervisor. 

The work accomplished by a pupil in a grade 



Certificates 
and Diplomas 



Promotion 
Cards 



Certificates of 
Promotion 



178 



The Graded Sunday School 



or department should be appropriately recog- 
nized. Certificates and diplomas, in order to 
mean as much as they should, should not be 
given too frequently. The following gradation 
of recognition forms will be found satisfactory: 
(1) In promoting pupils from one grade to the 
next within a department, issue a simple promo- 
tion card. (2) In promoting pupils from one 
department to the next, issue an attractive cer- 
tificate. (3) Upon the completion of the work of 
either the Elementary or Secondary Division of 
the school, issue a suitable diploma. 

Upon the satisfactory completion of the re- 
quirements of a given grade, a neat, plain card 
certifying the fact, and perhaps indicating some- 
thing as to the quality of the work done, may be 
given. A suitable form would be the following: 



Junior Department 



PROMOTION CARD 



Grade 7 



Morrow Memorial Sunday School 
Maplewood, New Jersey 

Sept. 20, 1910 

^iHiam Slottjentbal, 

Having satisfactorily completed the work of the Sixth Grade (Third 
Year Junior) , is hereby promoted to the 



of this Sunday School 



SEVENTH GRADE 
(Fourth Year Junior) 

Signed 



, Teacher. 

Dept. Supt. 

To complete the work of a department com- 
prising several grades is a greater task than to 
complete the course of a single grade within the 
department. The recognition form given to the 
pupil promoted from one department to the next 



Supervising the Graded School 1 79 

should be correspondingly more attractive. It 
should not be so elaborate as a diploma, but 
should be a certificate larger, more artistic, and 
more durable than the promotion card. This 
certificate should be signed by the teacher, the 
department superintendent, and countersigned by 
the division or general superintendent or educa- 
tional supervisor and the pastor. 

DEPARTMENTAL 
CERTIFICATE OF PROMOTION 

Morrow Memorial Sunday School 

Maplewood, New Jersey, Sept. 20, 1910 
This is to certify that 

<©eor0e <25ifforb 

has satisfactorily completed the Course of Study prescribed for the Primary 
Department (Grades I-III) of this Sunday School, and is hereby promoted to the 
first year of the 

JUNIOR DEPARTMENT 

(Grades 1V-VII) 

of this Sunday School 
Countersigned (Seal) Signed 

Gen. Supt , Teacher 3rd Grade. 

, Pastor. Primary Supt. 

The awarding of a diploma in the Sunday Diplomas 
school should mark the completion by the pupil 
of a specified larger section of the course of reli- 
gious instruction which the school offers. Grad- 
uation from the Elementary Division in a sense 
marks an epoch in the religious development and 
training of the pupil, and this affords a suitable 
opportunity for the special recognition which the 
awarding of the first diploma implies. This 
diploma will then indicate the satisfactory com- 
pletion of the work of the Elementary grades 
(I-VII), including Beginners, Primary, and 
Junior Departments, and the promotion of pupils 
from the Elementary to the Secondary Division 



180 The Graded Sunday School 

of the school. A similar opportunity for special 
recognition comes with the completion of the 
work of the Secondary Division, either in its 
Teacher-Training (Normal) or Senior Depart- 
ment. The diploma will in each case indicate 
which of the two courses, Intermediate and 
Teacher-Training, or Intermediate and Senior, 
has been completed. In the Advanced Division 
of the school certificates only should be used. 
These should be issued only in the Graduate De- 
partment of this division, and should certify in 
each case the completion of a specific course 
within the department. The diploma, when 
issued, should bear the signatures of the super- 
intendent of the school and the division, the 
pastor, and either the chairman of the educational 
committee or the president of the Board of 
Church Trustees. 

ELEMENTARY DIVISION 

MORROW MEMORIAL SUNDAY SCHOOL 
MAPLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY 
To all who may read this Testimonial, 
Greeting : 
Be it known that paul /^Cmminrj has with commendable diligence and 
proficiency completed the Course of Religious Instruction in the Elementary 
Division (Grades I-VII) of this Sunday School. 

In token whereof he is awarded this 

DIPLOMA 

Dated 

Pastor. 

Supt. Elem. Div. 
Chairman Ed'nal Com. 

, Pres. Bd. of Trustees. S. S. Supt. 

Reports and Good Sunday-school supervision implies on 

Records the part of the teacher and superintendent the 



Supervising the Graded School l8l 

careful and accurate keeping of certain records 
and the marking of certain regular reports. The 
multiplication of reports and records is not neces- 
sarily an indication of good supervision, but the 
entire absence of such certainly betrays super- 
visory inefficiency. 

It will be convenient to begin with the record Marking 
of the pupils' work kept by the teacher. Any Pu P ils 
system of marking that may be adopted by the 
teacher should be for purposes of record and for 
the teacher's own information only. They should 
not be made known to the pupils. To quote an 
eminent authority on school administration : 

The teacher's highest aim should be to awaken 
the interest of his pupils and secure from them the 
most cordial and earnest cooperation. For the fur- 
therance of this end there are several incentives much 
higher than the desire for high marks or the ambition 
to excel the accomplishment of some one else. If 
the lower incentives are given place, the higher ones 
are crowded out and their influence is lost. 1 

If this be true in public-school administration, 
how much more true will it be in religious 
training ! 

In communicating with the parents, which, of Reports to 
course, should be done more or less regularly, the 
purpose should be to give such information as 
may enable the parents to aid the teacher in 
furthering the spiritual and moral development 
of the pupil. Any reports sent home touching the 
class work of the pupil should be qualitative 
rather than quantitative. The use of the simple 
letter system, E, G, F, and P, signifying Excellent, 



Parents 



1 Dutton and Snedden, Administration of Public Education in 
the United States, pp. 3081. 



o 
o 
H 

8 

SlB 

g« 

J55 

PA 2 

§1 

o 

o 
2 



55 



To Parents: Please ex- 
amine this report with care. 
Sign your name in this col- 
umn and return the card to 
the teacher. 




































^usui^iodaQ 












^uasqv satutx 












ApjBX sauiix 












uox^nqu^uoQ 












aoiAjag qoanqQ 












aouaa3A3^ 












90IAJ9g P3UOSJ9J 












Aud-ej3o9Q 












j[JO^ 9Ai;ona^s 

-UO^ JO JBHUBJ^ 












Jioog 9^o^i 












3 l JO A\. Ajouiapj 












A\io}g uossaq; 


| 








o 


Q 
O 


1 

i 
c 


o 

c 

3 

< 




>' 

< 

52 



182 



Supervising the Graded School 1 83 

Good, Fair, and Poor, respectively, has proved 
satisfactory. A simple form for a quarterly 
(tri-monthly) report card for the Junior Depart- 
ment appears on the opposite page. 

The subjects reported would, of course, vary 
somewhat with each department. 

Such records as the class teacher keeps for his class Records, 
own information should be kept in concise, in- Reports 
telligible form, conveniently accessible for the 
department and general superintendent. At 
stated intervals, perhaps quarterly, such records 
should be summarized in the form of a report to 
the department superintendent. 

The department superintendent, in turn, will Department 
condense and combine the reports received from Records 
the separate grade teachers in his report to the 
general superintendent of the school. All records, 
including those of the class and department, 
should be kept by the card system. 

The general records for the school will be school 
compiled, under the direction of the superintend- Records 
ent, by the secretary. The superintendent, how- ^3"" en 
ever, rather than the secretary, should devise Responsibility 
the forms. As executive and supervising officer 
of the school he should plan and systematize 
the records and reports for the entire school 
in its various departments in such a way as to 
have at hand constantly adequate data for the 
intelligent supervision of instruction as well as 
for the executive management of the school. It is 
not within the scope of the present discussion to 
indicate what Sunday-school records should in- 
clude in detail. Many valuable suggestions will 
be found in text-books on School Administra- 



184 The Graded Sunday School 

tion indicated in the Bibliography, and especially 
also in the valuable treatise on School Reports 
and School Efficiency by Professors Snedden 
and Allen. In general it may be said that few if 
any of the systems of record books now appear- 
ing for the Sunday school are suited to the needs 
of the graded school. 



XVII 

DEPARTMENTAL AND CLASS ORGANIZATION 
IN THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 

Organization is the secret of much of the The Governing 
success characterizing modern movements, both Principle 
for commercial advantage and for social better- 
ment. It will be found equally advantageous in 
enterprises designed for the upbuilding of the 
Kingdom. The governing principle in all 
cooperative effort, be it in business, in politics, 
or in religion, is that those united in the organi- 
zation must constitute a homogeneous and mutu- 
ally sympathetic group — people interested in the 
same governmental reforms, or in like civic and 
national policies; business men dealing in like 
commodities, or facing the same economic diffi- 
culties; industrial laborers engaged in the same 
line of work, or a company of Christians favor- 
ing the same form of Church government — 
these are typical forms of social grouping among 
adults. 

In the following paragraphs we shall discuss Department 
various forms of departmental and class organi- versua 
zation, as these pertain more especially to the organization 
pupils. But supplementary organization of pupils 
will not make up for deficiencies in the regular 
organization and supervision of the several de- 
partments themselves. The organization of each 
department as such should be thorough and in 
185 



The Super- 
intendent 



Pupils and 
Classes 



186 The Graded Sunday School 

harmony with the plan for the organization of 
the school as a whole as set forth in an earlier 
chapter of this manual. Several points of special 
importance should here be noted. What is said in 
the following paragraphs regarding departmental 
organization, while here intended to apply espe- 
cially to those departments of the school in which 
pupil and student organizations may be appro- 
priate, is equally true of all departments of the 
school. 

The superintendent of the department should 
be a person (either man or woman) who under- 
stands boys and girls, especially boys and girls 
of the age of those within the department. He 
should understand grading and the significance 
and purpose of the courses of instruction used 
in the school and within his department. His 
exclusive time should be given to the supervision 
of his department; his qualifications should be 
educational as well as executive, and he should 
hold no other office than that of departmental 
superintendent. 

Every teacher should understand either girls 
or boys, or both, but especially the girls or boys 
of the age and group to which he is assigned. 
Every teacher should be a trained teacher, and 
one who appreciates the importance of the con- 
stant improvement of teachers in service. He 
should be willing and expect to give outside study 
and work in order to be a real teacher and a 
wise friend to members of his class. 

Pupils should be graded according to age and 
general ability, as in the public school. Only 
pupils of the same age and ability should be 



Department and Class Organization 1 87 

grouped together, and only the ages planned for 
in the general scheme of Sunday-school grading 
should be included within a given department. 
The classes of the department should be grouped 
together, with space or screens separating them 
from other departments. A separate room for 
each department is the ideal and should be pro- 
vided wherever possible. 

The course of study should be suited to the courses 
capacity and needs of the pupils. It should ofStud y 
be carefully graded. 

Where a given department is large, or where supervisor 
the superintendent lacks either the necessary 
time or the educational qualifications, there 
should be a departmental supervisor. The duty 
of this supervisor should be to look after such 
work as the department engages in as a whole, 
apart from the instruction given in the separate 
classes. This will include missionary and tem- 
perance instruction, philanthropic and social serv- 
ice, memory work, and the preparation for 
special days. 

No department will thrive as it should without Teachers' 
stated and regular meetings of its teachers. Such Meet,n * s 
meetings should provide for the study of 
methods, the discussion of departmental prob- 
lems, the planning of the work of the department 
as a whole, and the study of the regular teacher- 
training lessons. 

In a Sunday school that is properly organized Physical 
and graded the several classes and departments in r t ^ a e mza lon 
form the natural groupings for the further or- Sunday school 
ganization of the pupils into clubs, leagues, asso- 
ciations, or societies. There will be little occa- 



188 



The Graded Sunday School 



Junior 
Department 



Intermediate 
Department 



sion for such organizations within the Elementary 
Division of the Sunday school except in the 
Junior Department, where the pupils may be 
encouraged to unite in some simply constituted 
league or society having for its objective regular 
Church attendance, Bible study, temperance, and 
some definite form of weekly service. All the 
boys and girls within the Junior Department 
should be eligible to membership in such a so- 
ciety, though membership should be voluntary 
and not compulsory. Stated meetings of the 
society should be held at some convenient hour 
at least once every two weeks. The work of 
the society and all of its meetings should be 
under careful adult supervision, with ample 
provision for the participation of the Juniors 
themselves in both the business and religious 
exercises. 

In the Secondary Division of the school, in- 
cluding Intermediate and Senior departments, 
as well as in the Advanced Division, with its 
graduate and adult Bible classes, class and 
departmental organization will play an important 
role among the supplementary activities of the 
Sunday school. Beginning with the Intermediate 
Department, the organization of the pupils into 
an Intermediate society of the Sunday school 
will be found most advantageous. The manner 
in which such a society may be organized can 
be best illustrated by a concrete example, and 
one which has served as a model for many such 
departments. Credit for the plan here given is 
due to the Munn Avenue Presbyterian Sunday 
School, East Orange, New Jersey. 



Department and Class Organization 1 89 

The name of this organization shall be the Inter- 
mediate Society of the Sunday School. 

The membership of this Society shall include all 
pupils, teachers and ex-teachers of the Intermediate 
Department. 

The purpose of this Society shall be to promote the 
philanthropic, intellectual, and social interests of its 
members. 

The officers shall be a president, a vice-president, a 
secretary and treasurer. Each class shall elect a class 
president. The term of service for all officers shall be 
one year, or until their successors shall have been duly 
chosen. 

There shall be an executive committee consisting of 
the president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer, 
three class presidents, and the teachers of all classes not 
otherwise represented on the committee. 

There shall be a president's council, appointed by the 
president from among the teachers of the department. 

All pupil officers shall be chosen by ballot from the 
upper classes in the department, and both boys and girls 
shall serve upon the executive committee. The nomina- 
tions for pupil officers shall be made in open meeting of 
the Society as a whole. The voting shall be by ballot, 
a majority of the members present and voting being 
necessary to a choice. The election of officers shall be 
held at the regular January meeting of the Society. 

The president shall preside at all the meetings of the 
Society and of the executive committee. The vice- 
president shall perform all the duties pertaining to the 
president's office in the absence of the latter, and shall 
report to the Society all matters referred to it by the 
executive committee. The secretary and treasurer shall 
perform the duties customarily pertaining to these offices. 
The executive committee shall consider all measures 
proposed for attaining the objects of the Society, and 
make such recommendations as seem proper. This 
committee shall also appoint the chairmen of all special 
committees created by action of the Society for special 
purposes. 

The Society shall hold a regular meeting on the fourth 
Sunday of each month, at four o'clock P. M. Special 
meetings may be called at any session of the Sunday 
school by the president after consultation with at least 
two other members of the executive committee. 

A quorum for the election of officers and the transaction 
of other business shall consist of members. 



Name 
Membership 

Purpose 



Executive 
Committee 



President's 
Council 



Pupil 
Officers 



Duties of 
Officers and 
Committees 



Meetings 



Quorum 



1 90 The Graded Sunday School 

Order of At all regular meetings of the Society the following 

Business order of business shall be observed: 

(i) Call to order. 

(2) Prayer. 

(3) Reading of the minutes of the preceding meeting. 

(4) Reports of committees and reading of communica- 
tions. 

(5) Unfinished business. 

(6) Special business (election of officers, voting on 
constitutional changes, etc.). 

(7) New business. 

Amendments This constitution may be amended by a majority vote 

of the members present at any meeting, provided the 
proposed amendment shall have been read at the pre- 
vious regular meeting. 



Class 
Organization 



Boys' 
Organizations 



In addition to the organization of the Inter- 
mediate Department as a whole, each class within 
the department may advantageously be organized 
by itself into a club or chapter, with a name, 
with officers, and with a definite purpose and 
regular times of meeting. In most Intermediate 
and Senior departments boys and girls will be 
grouped in separate classes. This will give the 
class group thus organized into a club an addi- 
tional basis of unity. 

This is not the place for an extended discus- 
sion of special organizations for boys. It may, 
however, be said in general that whatever form 
such organization takes within the local church, 
the individual Sunday-school class will be found 
to be the best basis of union for the subgroups 
within the larger organization. Special sugges- 
tions for the work itself will be found in the 
several manuals issued by the Boy Scouts, 
Knights of King Arthur, Brotherhood of David, 
Knights of the Holy Grail, Knights of Meth- 
odism, and other similar societies, obtainable 



Department and Class Organization 1 9 1 

through various denominational brotherhood and 
publication headquarters. Whatever the form 
of the larger organization, it should be definitely 
linked with the Sunday school and under the 
genera] oversight of the Sunday-school board 
or committee of the local church. 

Organizations for girls' classes will naturally Girls' 
take on somewhat different form and follow organizations 
somewhat different lines of work than will those 
for boys. Girls are by nature, and by home en- 
vironment and training as well, more interested 
in work of a benevolent and philanthropic char- 
acter than are boys. But the cordiality with 
which the organization known as Camp Fire 
Girls, which corresponds to the Boy Scout Move- 
ment for boys, has been received is indicative of 
a natural interest on the part of girls in out-of- 
door life and activity, of which the Church thus 
far has taken all too little cognizance. 

The form and purpose of class and depart- Senior 
mental organizations in the Senior Department De P artment 
will differ somewhat from those with Interme- 
diates. The Senior pupil is ready for a larger 
degree of self-government, is interested more in 
large enterprises actually under way in the busi- 
ness, political, and religious world. He is fond 
of debate and argument, and anxious to settle 
categorically many of the world-old problems in 
philosophy and morals. Too little difference has 
usually been made in work with Intermediate 
and Senior groups, and too frequently the two 
groups have been treated as one, with no recog- 
nition of the difference in age and natural in- 
terests. Wherever Intermediates and Seniors 



]<)2 The Graded Sunday School 

are admitted to membership in the same organi- 
zation, recognition should be given to the older 
group by a subdivision of the organization into 
specified groups according to age, with special 
privileges and obligations for the members of the 
older group, such as eligibility to appointment as 
general officers of the organization and some 
form of supervisory responsibility in connection 
with some of the activities of the younger mem- 
bers. 



The Organized Adult Bible Class ► 

Advanced The division of the Sunday school within 

Division which the advantages of class organization are 

most evident is the Advanced Division, with its 
Graduate and Organized Adult Class depart- 
ments. The classes in the Graduate Department 
have for their aim the more careful and thorough 
study of the Bible and special courses in ethics, 
church history, or allied subjects. Such classes 
will perhaps be less interested in organized activi- 
ties than those in the general or nongraduate de- 
partment of the Advanced Division, which in our 
scheme of organization in a preceding chapter we 
have designated as the Organized Adult Class 
Department. The special aim for classes in this 
department will be to reach the unchurched adults 
in the community for purposes of practical and 
devotional Bible study and various forms of so- 
cial activity and service. 
Advantages of The advantages of thorough class organization 
organization j n ^jg department of the school are convincingly 
real. They include, among others, the following : 



Department and Class Organization 1 93 

It gives strength and permanency to the class. 

It develops an esprit de corps. The group spirit is 
fostered and cooperation becomes the rule of the service. 

It makes the class a spiritual center and a social unit. 

It develops and fixes responsibility. Each officer and 
member finds his place and work. 

It discovers and develops individual workers. 

It furnishes to the school and the church an agency 
for Christian service. 

It increases membership. A live, well-organized work- 
ing class attracts others. 

It holds young men and young women in the Sunday 
school and thus assists in solving a perplexing and difficult 
problem of loss and irregularity of attendance. 

Class organization, like Sunday-school grading, 
is a relative matter, which may differ in de- 
gree of thoroughness. By joint action of various 
denominational and interdenominational Sunday- 
school authorities there has been established a 
standard setting forth the minimum of organiza- 
tion, which must be reached by an organized 
adult class before the same shall be entitled to 
receive the diploma of recognition provided by 
the various denominational authorities. This 
standard of organization requires three definite 
and distinct things, namely : 

1. The class must be organically connected with the 
Sunday school, of which it must be considered an integral 
part. This does not mean that the adult class must 
necessarily meet at the same time and place with the 
rest of the school, though where this is possible it is by 
far the most desirable arrangement, and the one which 
is most likely to help the school as a whole most. 

2. The class shall have it least the following officers: 
Teacher, president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer. 
It shall have at least three standing committees, as fol- 
lows: Membership, devotional, and social. It is not 
required that these committees shall be known by these 
particular names, but it is required that the class shall 
have three committees, which are held responsible re- 
spectively for these three kinds of work. The executive 



International 
Standard of 
Organization 



Organic 
Connection 
with the 
Sunday School 



Specified 
Officers and 
Committees 



Suggested 
Constitution 



1 94 The Graded Sunday School 

committee, where there is such, may act as a committee 
on membership. 
Adult 3- The class shall consist of adult members only. 

Members A minimum age limit has been fixed at sixteen years, 

Only thus including the organized classes of the Senior De- 

partment of the school as well as those of the Adult 
Department proper. It is not intended that the dis- 
tinction between the Senior and Adult Departments of 
the school shall be obliterated, but the recognition here 
given to organized classes in the Senior Department, 
which includes pupils between the ages of sixteen and 
twenty years, makes it possible for organized classes of 
this department to pass as such into the Adult Depart- 
ment of the school without the necessity of applying 
for a new certificate when the minimum age of the members 
of the class shall have reached twenty. 

The organization of an Adult Bible Class 
should be as simple as the needs of the local class 
permit. The following model constitution is 
printed by way of suggestion only. It has been 
prepared with several constitutions actually in 
use in successful men's and women's classes, 
together with a similar model constitution, pre- 
pared by the Adult Department of the Interna- 
tional Association, before us. It should be modi- 
fied to suit the local needs of every class. Some 
classes will need more officers and committees, 
others will not need so many. The number and 
variety should be suited to the special needs in 
each case. 

MODEL FORM 

I. Name This class shall be called the Class of the 

Sunday School of the Church of 

(City), (State). 

II. Object The object of this organization shall be the regular 

and systematic study of the Bible under competent 
leadership; the achievement of Christian culture through 
the spiritual, intellectual, and social development of 
every member; mutual helofulness and the extension of 
Christ's kingdom. 



Department and Class Organization 1 95 

"In diligence not slothful; fervent in spirit; serving the 

Lord." 

Any man (or woman) twenty-one years old or over 
may become a member of this class by signifying his 
desire to join and his intention to be loyal to the purpose 
and aim of the organization as set forth in Article II. 
of this constitution, and by agreeing to attend the regular 
meetings of this class devoted to the study of the Bible. 

Section 1. The general officers of this class shall be a 
teacher, president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and 
librarian. These officers shall be elected annually by 
ballot, and shall hold office until the next annual meet- 
ing after their election, or until their successors are chosen. 
The election of the teacher by the class shall be subject 
to the regular method prescribed by the church. 

Sec. 2. There shall be standing committees, 

to wit : Executive, devotional, social, and (other 

standing and special committees on membership, music, 
athletics, etc., may be added at the discretion of the class). 

Sec. 3. The president shall be chairman of the executive 
committee, which shall consist of the general officers and 
the chairmen of all standing committees. The executive 
committee shall have the power to appoint all other 
standing committees and to designate who shall be chair- 
man of each. 

Section 1. The teacher shall have general charge of 
the Bible study work of the class, and shall be chosen 
with special reference to his fitness and ability to teach 
the Bible to adult students. He shall have charge of 
the regular study of the lesson at the Sabbath-day session 
of the class, and shall be ex officio member of all com- 
mittees. 

Sec. 2. The president shall preside at the regular and 
special meetings of the class and shall be the general 
executive officer. He shall appoint all special committees 
not provided for in the constitution and shall be ex officio 
a member of all committees. 

Sec. 3. The vice-president shall perform the duties 
of the president in the absence of the latter and shall 
render such other executive assistance as may be re- 
quired by the president. 

Sec. 4. The secretary shall have charge of the records 
of the class. He shall keep accurate minutes of all 
business meetings, both of the class and of the executive 
committee, and shall make all announcements. He shall 



IV. Member- 
ship 



V. Officers 

and 

Committees 



VI. Duties of 
Officers and 
Committees 



1 96 The Graded Sunday School 

keep a record of the attendance of the members each 
Sunday, and shall report the same, together with the 
amount of the collection for the day, to the class and to 
the secretary of the school. 

Sec. 5. The treasurer shall receive all moneys belong- 
ing to the class; shall hold, deposit, and pay out the same 
as directed by the executive committee in harmony with 
the rules of the school. He shall make a full report of 
receipts and disbursements at each annual meeting of 
the class. 

Sec. 6. The librarian shall have charge of all books 
and periodicals and other printed matter belonging to 
the class. He shall be responsible for the distribution 
of song books, Bibles, etc., at the regular and special 
meetings of the class. 

Sec. 7. The executive committee shall have general 
supervision over all class work and interests. It shall 
devise ways and means of increasing the attendance at 
the regular class sessions for Bible study and for advanc- 
ing the interests of the class in other ways. 

Sec. 8. The devotional committee shall be responsible 
for the spiritual welfare and work of the class. It shall 
be the duty of this committee as far as possible to assist 
the teacher in planning for and arranging the Bible 
study work of the class. 

Sec. 9. The social committee shall be responsible for 
greeting, welcoming, and introducing new members and 
visitors. It shall have charge of all entertainments and 
other social functions of the class. In the absence of 
a special committee for this purpose, the social committee 
shall act as a committee on membership. 

VII. Meetings Section i. An annual meeting of this class shall be held 

in the month of each year, the exact date 

to be determined by the executive committee. 

Sec. 2. The class shall meet every Sunday for Bible 

study at o'clock, in connection with the regular 

session of the Sunday school of the church. 

Sec. 3. There shall be a regular business meeting 

of the class on the first of every month, 

at o'clock. 

Sec. 4. Special business and other meetings may be 

called by the president in consultation with the teacher 

and members of the executive committee as occasion 

may require. 

viii. Quorum members of the class in attendance at 



Department and Class Organization 1 97 

any regular or special meeting shall constitute a quorum 
for the transaction of business. 

The funds necessary to carry on the work of the class 
shall be raised by voluntary subscription. No contribu- 
tions shall be solicited at any social meeting or enter- 
tainment of the class. 

This constitution may be amended at any regular 
business meeting of the class by a two-thirds vote of 
the members present, provided that said two-thirds shall 
not be less than the number required to constitute a 
quorum for the transaction of business. 

As the class progresses it will be found neces- By-Law» 
sary to enact certain rules concerning class 
management, order of business, methods of 
work, which will come properly under the head 
of by-laws. 



IX. Contri- 
butions 



X. Amend- 
ments 



Important 



XVIII 

[SPECIAL DAYS AND THEIR OBSERVANCE 
IN THE GRADED SUNDAY SCHOOL. 

Four There are four special occasions which 

special Days naturally divide the Sunday-school year into 
four approximately equal periods. These are the 
autumnal Rally Day, the two major festivals 
of the Church year, Christmas and Easter, and 
the early Summer Promotion or Commencement 
Day, which may appropriately be combined with 
Children's Day. 

Rally Day and the Fall Opening 

Rally Day Rally Day will naturally be a day of ingather- 

a Day of - in „ £ new p U pji s f or w hich a careful and sys- 

Ingathenng ° r r ' . * 

tematic canvass of the parish and neighborhood 
will have been made well in advance. But mem- 
bers will in no case be considered the first essen- 
tial or the measure of success. In the interests 
of good work the number of pupils admitted to 
any given grade or department will be strictly 
limited to the normal capacity of the building 
and equipment. It is better to have a waiting 
list or to send the overflow to other schools than 
to jeopardize the quality of the work done for 
the sake of numbers. An enrollment of one hun- 
dred, with an average percentage of attendance 
of eighty, will mean more for character-building 
than an enrollment of one hundred and sixty with 
an average attendance percentage of eighty. 
198 



Special Days and Their Observance 1 99 

In the graded Sunday school Rally Day be- And of 
comes the day for the autumnal enrollment. It EnroUm «nt 
is the day of the fall opening on which, or im- 
mediately following which, the work of the new 
school year begins. It should be a festive day 
with appropriate special exercises, planned and 
conducted departmentally rather than by and for 
the school as a whole, wherever the enrollment 
by departments is sufficiently large to permit 
separate departmental exercises. 

The purpose of the day will determine largely The Program 
the character of the program, which will bring 
forcibly to the attention of pupils and visitors 
alike the essential importance of systematic and 
thorough instruction and training in religion and 
morals such as the graded Sunday school offers. 
It will be simple and impressive, to the point, 
and illuminating as regards both the purpose 
and method of the instruction which the school 
offers. It will make for regularity and punctu- 
ality in attendance and for a measurable appre- 
ciation of the privilege of enrollment and mem- 
bership in the school. 

Since the graded lesson courses for all de- The Date 
partments of the school are planned to begin 
with the first Sunday in October of each year, 
the character and purpose of Rally Day as here 
set forth fixes its date for either the last Sun- 
day in September or the first Sunday in October. 
The date suggested by the regularly constituted 
Church authorities, where it varies from this, is 
not intended to be arbitrary or inflexible, and 
should be moved forward or backward as may 
be necessary. 



200 The Graded Sunday School 

Christmas and Easter 

Emphasizing The non-liturgical evangelical churches in 
the America as a rule pay comparatively little atten- 

tion to the Church year, while the emphasis 
placed on the two major Church festivals, Christ- 
mas and Easter, is not seldom of such a character 
as to yield the minimum of returns in the de- 
velopment of the religious life of the children 
and young people in the Sunday school. Christ- 
mas should be religious in character. The Sunday- 
school Christmas should be primarily and help- 
fully religious in tone. A simple service in which 
Christmas carols and appropriate recitations 
give expression and emphasis to the true Christ- 
mas spirit of a glad good will and Christmas 
charity is infinitely superior to the more popular 
Santa-Claus variety of program where fun and 
frolic seem to be the sole objective and in which 
a chance religious sentiment would seem almost 
out of place by sheer contrast. Christmas offers 
a splendid opportunity for the inculcation of the 
highest type of Christian altruism and for the 
cultivation of an intelligent and lasting apprecia- 
tion of the classic Christmas anthems, carols, and 
hymns. This opportunity comes but once each 
year and should not be lightly cast aside for the 
gratification of a mere whim and demand for 
something of a lighter and more catchy character. 
True religious sentiment incorporated in worthy 
and appropriate music becomes a permanent 
possession when used in connection with a great 
Church festival such as Christmas. 

Christmas time more than any other period of 



Special Days and Their Observance 201 

the Church year is a season of unselfishness, a Giving 
The spirit of generous Christian charity is abroad. chri8tm as 
It seems natural to think of others, and the in- 
stinctive desire of the heart is to be helpful and 
to bring joy and happiness to some one else. 
This spirit should be strengthened and encour- 
aged by the Christmas festivities in the Sunday 
school. To pupils and teachers alike should be 
afforded the pleasure and joy of experiencing 
the truth of the New Testament teaching, "It is 
more blessed to give than to receive." 

Almost every school, whether located in the what and 
city or in the country, is within easy reach of | oWhom 
several fields for Church benevolence. One of 
these fields is represented by hospitals, orphan 
asylums, homes for the aged, schools for the 
blind, day nurseries, and other charitable in- 
stitutions, together with public prisons and re- 
formatories, to any of which the simple and ap- 
propriate gifts from the pupils and teachers of 
a Christian Sunday school will be a benediction, 
the influence of which will last through many 
months of the year which follows. In every 
Church parish there are the worthy poor, in 
families and individuals, who, because of sick- 
ness or adverse circumstances, are in actual need 
and distress. To all such families and individuals 
within the boundaries of the Christian Church 
parish there should come a message of cheer 
with some substantial gift in the form of food or 
provisions, clothing or fuel. To forget the needy 
of the Church neighborhood and to center the 
attention and interest upon the gifts to be re- 
ceived by the children is to cultivate selfishness 



the Easter 
Celebration 



202 The Graded Sunday School 

at a time when the heart is most ready to respond 
to the call of unselfishness and Christian charity. 
Long in advance of Christmas time the Christ- 
mas spirit may be cultivated in the children of 
a class or school by the preparation of a Christ- 
mas box for some foreign mission field or station, 
concerning Easter Sunday should be among the special 

days observed in the Sunday school. In the 
Christian Church this festival commemorates 
the triumphal culmination of the ministry and re- 
demptive work of our Lord. In his triumph 
rather than in his infancy Jesus is our example 
and inspiration of the worthiest endeavor. It is 
the divine, the living, the triumphal Christ, who 
claims our allegiance and inspires our loyalty, and 
it is at the glad Easter season that we are re- 
minded, perhaps more than at any other time, of 
the living and abiding presence of the Christ 
among men. And in the Easter service of the 
Sunday school this note of Christian triumph and 
of gladness should be dominant. What has been 
said concerning the simplicity and appropriate- 
ness of the Christmas service applies to the Easter 
service also. And just as at Christmas time gifts 
are sent to the poor and the shut-ins, bearing the 
message of Christian benevolence, so at Easter- 
time the early spring flowers, which have served 
their purpose in adding charm and beauty to the 
festal hour, may be made to carry to the sick and 
helpless glad messages of Christian love and fel- 
lowship. It will add much to the joy of the chil- 
dren to be permitted to serve as messengers 
bearing Easter greetings to those who are thus 
to be remembered by a gift of flowers. 



Special Days and Their Observance 203 
Children's Day 

Children's Day comes in June, the fourth and importance of 
last of the great special days of the Sunday- Reli * iou « 
school year. The principal service to the school, opportunities 
and through the school to the Church, has been ° f childhood 
to emphasize the importance of the Christian edu- 
cation. It is preeminently the children's own fes- 
tival. It is their day ; its program should be their 
program, its flowers the flowers they bring. On 
Children's Day let childhood speak, let the chil- 
dren come to the front, that the Church may 
know her heritage and realize her opportunity; 
and so far as teachers and officers or other adults 
participate in the program, let them call attention 
to the necessity and importance of a Christian re- 
ligious education and a liberal Christian training. 

In schools which close for the summer, as a commence- 
is the case in many of our large cities, and in J""^ 7 
schools which provide during the summer months Sunday school 
for a change from the regular course of instruc- 
tion during the major part of the year, Children's 
Day may be utilized as Commencement and Pro- 
motion Day. In such cases a late Sunday in 
June would be most appropriate for the service, 
the program being such as to preserve the spirit 
and purpose of Children's Day in general, while 
at the same time adapted in such a way as to 
make of it a suitable Commencement exercise 
for the Sunday school. Demonstrations of 
the work actually accomplished with depart- 
ments and grades, recitations and concert exer- 
cises appropriate for the occasion would nat- 
urally be provided. 



The New 
Evangelism 



Decision Day 



204 The Graded Sunday School 

Other Special Days 

•A new type of evangelism is gradually receiv- 
ing deserved recognition in our Sunday schools; 
a type that makes a careful study of the religious 
life and its normal development, and which, on 
the basis of such study, adapts both its message 
and its methods to the changing needs of the in- 
dividual at different ages and under different en- 
vironmental conditions. Such an evangelism is 
essentially a "year-round" evangelism. It is con- 
stant in its effort to lead the pupil into an ex- 
perience of conscious fellowship with the heav- 
enly Father. It never loses sight of this ob- 
jective. Yet, recognizing the fact that moral 
standards and religious faith alike are largely a 
product of early training, its method is primarily 
educational. By diligent, patient, never-ceasing 
constructive teaching it seeks to furnish in due 
and well-balanced proportion that measure of in- 
spiration for the heart, illumination for the mind, 
and stimulation and guidance for the will which 
is essential to the development of strong, well- 
rounded Christian character. This new evan- 
gelism recognizes special times and seasons for 
the larger ingathering of results and for taking 
inventory of progress made. It is not blind to 
the oft-recurring need of direct and special ap- 
peal, but in its program such seasons of larger 
ingathering and such occasions for special ap- 
peal come not by arbitrary appointment, but as 
the natural culmination of a longer period of 
careful and intelligent preparation. Wisely pre- 
pared for and rightly observed, Decision Day 



Special Days and Their Observance 205 

may be to a Sunday school the most important, 
and spiritually the most fruitful, day on the 
calendar. It has large possibilities — so large, in- 
deed, as to be fraught with real dangers. Its 
observance must not be forced. 

It is not likely that all classes or departments opportunity 
of the school will be ready at the same time for of Adolescence 
the personal appeal which Decision Day implies. 
In the Elementary grades of the school it will 
have little, if any, place. In the upper Junior and 
throughout the Intermediate grades, on the other 
hand, there will be ample occasion for its recog- 
nition. With the dawning sense of independence 
and personal responsibility in conduct that comes 
with the years of early adolescence, there should 
come in the life of every pupil a glad, free choice 
of those ideals and standards of Christian dis- 
cipleship which up to this time have been ac- 
cepted more or less without question from others. 
In these grades, therefore, it will be necessary 
ever and again to make the direct appeal; and it 
will be necessary in all the upper departments of 
the school to set forth continually and in its most 
favorable and attractive form the personal ac- 
ceptance of Christ as the highest good. 

Some incidental recognition should be given Patriotism and 
in the Sunday school to national holidays set Thanksgiving 
aside for the inculcation of patriotism and 
thanksgiving. This may be done in connection 
with the regular lesson or with departmental ex- 
ercises on the Sunday next preceding the holiday, 
on July the Fourth and the last Thursday in 
November, In schools that are discontinued a 
part or all of the summer, the Sunday preceding 



A Wrong 
Tendency 



Curriculum 
Products 



The Teaching 
Hour Sacred 



One Thing 
Needful 



206 The Graded Sunday School 

Lincoln's or Washington's Birthday may be used 
for special patriotic exercises. 

There is a growing tendency in some quarters 
toward assigning to every worthy cause, from 
temperance to the fight against tuberculosis, a 
special Sunday for its annual exploitation in the 
school of religion. While the motive back of 
this tendency is altogether praiseworthy, the 
method whereby the end is sought is clearly not 
the best. 

The graded courses in religious instruction 
now available for use in the Sunday school make 
ample provision for systematic and thorough- 
going teaching in temperance, missions, and 
Christian benevolence. And it is not too much 
to expect that habits of total abstinence from the 
use of intoxicating liquors, interest in missions, 
and systematic and intelligent giving to every 
worthy charity or benevolence shall be among 
the major products of the week-by-week instruc- 
tion which these courses provide. 

It is of the utmost importance that the hour 
set apart for class teaching in the Sunday school 
be considered sacred and that nothing be per- 
mitted to curtail or interfere with the systematic 
work in Bible instruction and Christian training 
and nurture. If the Sunday schools of to-day 
need one thing more than they do others, this 
one thing needful is more earnest and more un- 
interrupted classroom effort where a prepared 
teacher with a lesson suited to the age and special 
religious needs of his pupils is given an oppor- 
tunity to work out with his pupils and in the 
concrete the problem of effective Christian train- 



Special Days and Their Observance 207 

ing. In order to safeguard the lesson hour and 
its larger possibilities in character-building, there- 
fore, the multiplication of special days and serv- 
ices in the Sunday school is to be discouraged 
and, as far as possible, avoided. 



XIX 



THE SUNDAY SCHOOL LIBRARY 

a Generation The Sunday school library is still an im- 
A e° portant factor in the religious-educational work 

of many a local church, although a generation 
ago this was true in a much larger number of 
schools than at present. In rural communities, 
where there were no public libraries, and where 
home libraries were scarcely known, the collec- 
tion of books owned by the Sunday school was 
ofttimes one of the chief attractions for the young 
people of the neighborhood. It is true the books 
which these libraries contained were chiefly chil- 
dren's stories of the sentimental and ultra-pious 
type, which, judged by our present standards, 
were often as crude in substance of doctrine as 
in their illustrations. Nevertheless, they showed 
a tenderness toward childhood at a time when 
this period of life was but little understood and 
its rights not so fully recognized as to-day. With 
the increasing appreciation and understanding of 
child life this type of book has, during the past 
two decades, given place largely to stories more 
closely related to the experience of normal chil- 
dren and young people, 
why With the rapid increase of public and public- 

Sunday school sc hool libraries, with their liberal annual appro- 
Have Declined priations, the need for a Sunday-school library is, 
in most communities, no longer felt as formerly. 
Not a few large city Sunday schools have dis- 
208 



The Sunday School Library 209 

continued their libraries altogether, while the 
libraries of other schools, with which some 
readers of this chapter may be familiar, have 
fallen almost entirely into disuse. For this de- 
cline of the Sunday-school library in communities 
where it might still serve a valuable purpose two 
causes are chiefly responsible. Too often the 
library has not kept pace with the changing stand- 
ards, and new books which appeal to the pupils 
have not been added to the catalogue. The pupil's 
interest is the first essential, and the degree to 
which a book calls forth the spontaneous interest 
of a normal, wide-awake boy or girl of average 
intelligence and good breeding is one of the 
fairest tests of its value. There are other vital 
considerations to which we shall refer in an- 
other paragraph; but the power of a book to 
arouse and hold the interest of the reader is 
fundamental. 

The second cause of Sunday-school library de- Method of 
cline is to be found in the customary method of Dis t"t>uting 
distributing books. In most Sunday-school 
libraries, eyen at present, each book is given a 
number, and from a printed list of books and 
numbers children write on cards the numbers of 
perhaps a dozen books, from among which they 
would like to get one. From this pupil's card 
the librarian selects a book, usually the most ac- 
cessible one which happens to be included in the 
list. The children seldom have an opportunity 
to see and examine the books for themselves be- 
fore making a selection, but must judge of their 
worth and contents wholly by the title, a method 
which is far from satisfactory and which results 



2 1 The Graded Sunday School 

in the frequent disappointment of the pupil and 
a subsequent discontinuation of the use of the 
library. If teachers would sufficiently familiarize 
themselves with the library to wisely assist their 
pupils in their choices, and to suggest appropriate 
and interesting books, the library might be made 
the teacher's strongest ally. Pupils should also 
be permitted to go occasionally among the shelves 
of the library and examine the books for them- 
selves. This can easily be arranged without con- 
fusion by permitting classes to take turns in 
visiting the library on succeeding Sundays, 
usefulness The influence of good books on the ideals of 

Not past children is so powerful that it is hard to under- 

stand how any Sunday-school teacher can well 
do without their assistance. A good book not 
seldom offers the best opportunity for clinching 
or applying the truth of a lesson by presenting to 
the mind of the pupil the outstanding thought or 
teaching of the lesson in a new and interesting 
setting. Or, a lesson may be made doubly im- 
pressive by asking pupils to read in advance a 
certain book dealing with the same thought. 
Primary workers should remember that many 
mothers would be glad to read to their little chil- 
dren books suggested by the Sunday-school 
teacher. Rightly appreciated and used, therefore, 
the Sunday-school library should still render a 
most valuable service. A book in the hand is 
worth ten in a distant public library, and even a 
comparatively small number of well-selected 
books would prove most helpful in the Sunday 
school. 

Books for a Sunday-school library should be 



The Test 
of a Book — 
Moral Tone 



The Sunday School Library 2 1 1 

carefully selected; otherwise they may prove a 
handicap rather than an ally to the teacher. The 
first test to be applied to any book is that of its 
moral tone. By a moral book we mean one that 
arouses our admiration for manliness or woman- 
liness and for such virtues as honor, courage, 
faithfulness, and gentleness. The story which 
exalts honesty and pluck above luck, the one in 
which nobleness is personified in the life of some 
man or woman known or unknown to the world, 
instinctively awakens in the young reader a de- 
sire to emulate the example of nobleness which 
it portrays. Secondly, the literary quality of a Literary 
book should be considered. The language of a °- uallt y 
good writer will unconsciously mold that of young 
people still in the formative period. Those who 
have read much to children are often struck by 
hearing them use appropriately expressions con- 
tained in the book, but which the reader had 
passed almost or quite unnoticed. A child of 
three years that had heard "The Village Black- 
smith" repeated frequently by an older member 
of the family, one day, when much pleased, ex- 
claimed in the midst of his play, "O, that makes 
my heart rejoice!" It is seldom that a person's 
vocabulary is increased to any considerable ex- 
tent after the adolescent years are past. How 
important, therefore, that these years be used 
wisely, lest in later life one be handicapped in 
the free and proper expression of thought. 
Lastly, in selecting books for the Sunday-school Appearance 
library, the printing, binding, and illustrations Illustration! 
should be considered. A poorly printed book 
with crude and homely pictures will often repel 



Necessarily 
Large 



212 The Graded Sunday School 

a child, even though it be well written. Every 
book placed in the hands of a boy or girl for use 
should command his or her respect because of its 
appearance. In many cases a book may become 
so much loved by a class of pupils that it will be 
"read to rags," but in its original appearance the 
book should be as attractive as it is interesting. 
Library Not The Sunday-school library need not necessarily 

be a large one, nor is it important that it cover a 
very large range of subjects. It is quite possible 
for young people to read too much, and in the 
building up of a library, rather than buy a large 
number of mediocre books, it will be much better 
to purchase several copies of a "best book," so 
that all the boys and girls can read this one book 
while their interest in it is at its height. With 
the more perfect adjustment of our schools to 
the system of graded religious instruction it will 
become increasingly easy to have at hand a care- 
fully selected list of books specially suited to the 
age and experience of pupils in each of the va- 
rious grades. The books thus selected can be 
made to serve in a sense as supplementary to the 
regular textbooks of instruction. These books 
may include history, nature stories, fiction, biog- 
raphy, and a wide range of other subjects, but 
each book selected must be in itself worth while, 
and the idea which dominates its story must be 
appropriate and helpful. Thus in the altruistic 
period, when pupils are anxious to be doing 
something for others, it will not be amiss to place 
in their hands the printed reports and publica- 
tions of such organizations as that of the 
various humane societies, the Society for the 



The Sunday School Library 2 1 3 

Prevention of Cruelty to Children, and, wher- 
ever practical, to point out an opportunity to aid 
some such worthy cause. 

In considering the annual budget of the Sun- Building up 
day school the library should not be overlooked. a Librar y 
A small fund, well managed, can be made to keep 
a collection of books fresh and attractive by the 
judicious selection of a few new volumes every 
month. Many books can be secured by special 
private donation, and others may be borrowed 
in alcove sets from near-by public libraries. In 
seeking donations it is far better to first decide 
on the book or books needed for each class and 
department and then to approach individuals, 
pointing out the special need and the opportunity 
to render a genuine service by becoming the 
donor of one or more books in the list. This 
method will be found to yield larger returns and 
to secure a more abiding interest on the part of 
those who donate books than the usual plan of 
leaving the choice of the book to the donor him- 
self. 

The Sunday-school librarian will find a helpful using the 
ally in the public library, from which in most Public Library 
communities it will be possible to borrow a num- 
ber of books at a time for a specified period of 
time. This arrangement will prove doubly ad- 
vantageous in that it makes possible the tem- 
porary use of books for special seasonal and 
other programs without expense to the school, 
and makes available for the school under its own 
auspices the larger assortment of specialized ma- 
terial which the public library contains. Such 
libraries are not infrequently glad to receive 



214 Th e Graded Sunday School 

from the Sunday school a suggestion as to new 
books that might prove of interest and service in 
the community. 
Teacher- Every Sunday-school library should provide 

Training amply for the professional needs of the teachers. 

Bible dictionaries and commentaries, together 
with books on general and religious pedagogy, 
should be made available to every member of the 
teaching force. A suitable list for each depart- 
ment of a graded school will be found in the 
teacher's manual accompanying the course of 
study for the department. 



Books 



XX 

PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION AND 
ADVANCEMENT OF TEACHERS 

What is the present situation with regard to The situation 
teacher training in the Sunday school? Speak- 
ing advisedly and with due regard to the prog- 
ress making in many quarters, it must be admitted 
that conditions, on the whole, are deplorable in 
the extreme. The total enrollment for the 
Sunday schools of the United States in 191 1 was 
approximately 15,500,000, with 1,600,000 officers 
and teachers. The teacher-training statistics as Teacher- 
given in the San Francisco Convention Report in- draining 

°. r . Statistics 

dicated the total number of graduates from 
teacher-training courses up to 191 1 to be less than 
30,000. Granting that one third as many more 
teachers now in service have had some sort of 
professional training outside of the Sunday 
school, or in classes not reported to the Interna- 
tional Sunday school authorities, and making 
further allowance for the number of persons who 
have received teacher-training diplomas since this 
report was made, we still have a total of less than 
50,000 persons who have completed any sort of a 
course in teacher training. This is a bare three 
per cent of the total number of teachers and of- 
ficers now at work in the Sunday school, and less 
than five per cent of the actual teaching force. 

It is but fair to inquire further into the char- Poor 
acter of the training which this small percentage Text-Books 
of Sunday-school teachers has actually received. 
215 



Dr. McFar- 

land's 

Criticism 



2l6 The Graded Sunday School 

This is not difficult to determine for those repre- 
sented in the international statistics. More than 
ninety-five per cent of these have received the 
diploma for the so-called First Standard Course, 
covering a total of only fifty lessons on Bible 
study, child study, and Sunday-school organiza- 
tion and management combined. But even this 
absurd quantitative minimum of work required 
by the international standard for the first teacher- 
training course is not the worst aspect of the 
situation. Many of the text-books for this 
course, and especially several of those used quite 
extensively, are a delusion and a snare, utterly 
inadequate in subject-matter, unpedagogical in 
arrangement and method, and misleading and 
inaccurate in statements of fact. To quote Dr. 
McFarland on this point: 1 

The present situation in this matter is chaotic. . . . 
The conditions have been particularly favorable for 
the exploitation of sham and shoddy. In the first 
place, there has been much popular but uninstructed 
interest in this subject on the part of many who, not 
being capable of discriminating judgment, have been 
an easy mark for educational quackery. There are 
thousands of Sunday-school teachers, possessed by 
a sincere zeal to do better work, but not understanding 
what kind of training they need, who have been 
misled by the advertisements of various teacher- training 
nostrums which, like certain patent medicines, promise 
much but accomplish little, material which should be 
ruled out under intellectual and moral Pure Food 
and Drug laws. 

As the character of the average books devoted to 
this interest indicates, there is as yet no standard 
established in this department of instruction and 
training. The consciousness of this fact led to the 



1 Dr. J T. McFarland, Editor Sunday School Publications. Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church, in an address delivered before the Sunday 
School Editorial Association in July, 1909. 



Professional Preparation of Teachers 217 

calling of what is known as the Philadelphia Conference, 
January 7, 8, 1908. At that conference between the 
representatives of the denominations and the authori- 
ties of the International Association an attempt was 
made to establish a standard; and in a sense and to a 
certain degree this was done. By the agreement 
reached at that conference we now know that any 
approved course in teacher-training must include not 
less than fifty lesson periods, of which at least 
twenty must be devoted to the study of the Bible, 
and at least seven each to the study of the pupil, the 
teacher, and the Sunday school. But hopeful as this 
was as a beginning, it was only a beginning — it did 
not really set up a standard. An educational standard 
is not a matter of arithmetic, not a question of numer- 
cal proportion, but of quality and substance. It must 
not deal simply with dimensions but with weight. A 
cubic foot of basswood measures the same as a cubic 
foot of mahogany, but there is a great difference 
between them in the matter of specific gravity and 
commercial value. And this is just the defect of the 
so-called standard adopted by the Philadelphia Con- 
ference. It did not distinguish between basswood 
and mahogany. To say that a teacher- training course 
shall include four sections, and that a certain number 
of lessons must be devoted to each section, is a system 
of linear or, at best, cubic measurement; it does not 
attempt to measure the substance and weight and 
quality of the material. What is needed is an ad 
valorem standard. 

It is true that the Philadelphia Conference re- second 
ferred to by Dr. McFarland adopted a standard 
also for a second or advanced course in teacher- 
training, the minimum requirements for which 
were double those for the first standard course. 
The exact wording of the conference resolution 
bearing on this course is as follows : 

There shall be an advanced course including not 
less than one hundred (100) lesson periods, with a 
minimum of forty (40) lesson periods devoted to the 
study of the Bible, and not less than ten (10) each to a 
study of the pupil, the teacher, the Sunday school, 
church history, and missions. Three years' time shall 



Standard 
Course 



2 1 8 The Graded Sunday School 

be devoted to this course, and in no case shall a diploma 
be granted for its completion in less than two years. 

Denomina- Several of the leading denominations have 

twnai courses un dertaken the preparation of a course in teacher- 
training meeting the requirements of this higher 
standard, and in several instances going far be- 
yond its minimum. Thus, for example, the 
advanced teacher-training course for the Metho- 
dist Episcopal Church, with which the writer hap- 
pens to be most familiar, provides for sixty-two 
lessons on pedagogy and child study, forty-six 
lessons on the organization and management of 
the Sunday school, and a creditable course of 
fifty-two lessons in Old and New Testament 
introduction. The requirements of the Baptist, 
Presbyterian, and several other denominations are 
correspondingly high. Correspondence courses 
offering instruction in a variety of subjects, in- 
cluding those specified in the second standard 
course requirements, are also being offered for 
the benefit especially of teachers who are not so 
situated as to be able to join a teacher-training 
class. Advanced and correspondence courses, 
however, have thus far had a very limited circu- 
lation, and are hardly to be considered in an 
estimate of the present situation, except as they 
indicate a purpose on the part of the leading 
denominations and the International Association 
to improve as rapidly as possible the present 
deplorable conditions. It is doubtful if one Sun- 
day-school teacher in ten to-day could pass a fair 
test in a creditable course in Bible history or New 
Testament introduction, while most of the actual 
teaching done in the Sunday school, "judged on 



Professional Preparation of Teachers 21 9 

the basis of pedagogical method, is," as a promi- 
nent and well-informed educator recently ex- 
pressed it, "simply abominable, and would not 
be rated five on the scale of one hundred in the 
training department of any reputable normal 
school or teachers' college." 

Fortunately, mankind is incurably religious, Development, 
and the religious life of boys and girls continues N °t with - 
to develop notwithstanding the handicap placed s an mg 
upon it by poor teaching in the Sunday school. 
The great body of Sunday-school teachers, more- 
over, is an earnest, consecrated company, full of 
faith and of devotion to their task; and faith is 
contagious and example is stronger than precept. 
What might not the harvest be in the Sunday- 
school field if correct teaching were to supple- 
ment noble example ; if knowledge were added to 
zeal and skill to earnest endeavor ! 

The standards of grading and supervision set Factors in 
forth in the preceding chapters presuppose some Teacher- 

A K *.' A 4. • ' 4.U Training 

more adequate preparation and training on the 
part of Sunday-school teachers. Such training 
of necessity involves three factors, namely: 
(1) Knowledge of the subject-matter of religious 
instruction; (2) Knowledge of pedagogical prin- 
ciples and methods; (3) Actual practice in teach- 
ing gained either outside the Sunday school or 
by means of a carefully supervised apprenticeship 
as assistant teacher in a given department. 

It does not fall within the intended scope of what is 
this discussion to outline in detail what should be Needed 
included in a course of study for teacher-training 
classes — certainly as much or more than the best 
of the courses at present available offers. What 



Educational 
Leadership 
Demanded 



Two Aspects 
of the 
Problem 



2 20 The Graded Sunday School 

is needed is not so much more or other teacher- 
training text-books, so called; but professional 
requirements based upon a study of recognized 
standard text-books on Bible history and geog- 
raphy ; Old and New Testament introduction ; 
the life of Christ; church, missionary, and reli- 
gious history ; on child study, principles of teach- 
ing, general method, and school management; 
with carefully selected and arranged courses of 
collateral reading by subjects. 

Such text-books of high grade are already 
available in abundance, but not all of them appear 
on the catalogues of denominational or Sunday- 
school publishing houses. The element of ecclesi- 
astical commercialism manifest in the multiplica- 
tion of made-to-order official courses and texts 
is a real menace to progress in the Sunday school. 
The greatest present need is that of educational 
ideals and educational leadership in denomina- 
tional and interdenominational Sunday-school 
movements. To such leadership there has always 
been a quick response on the part of earnest and 
progressive teachers everywhere; and to such 
leadership in several strategic places we are to-day 
indebted for the new educational emphasis in 
Sunday-school work and for the prospect of 
better things in teacher-training as well as in 
graded courses of study for the Sunday school 
in the immediate future. 

There are really two distinct aspects of the 
problem of teacher-training, that of the profes- 
sional preparation of prospective teachers and 
that of the improvement of teachers in service. 
Of these the second is in many respects more 



Professional Preparation of Teachers 221 

important than the first. There is a constant 
temptation to regard the completion of a given 
course of preparatory training as a sufficient 
guarantee of permanent efficiency, whereas such 
preparatory training, at its best, cannot possibly 
be a substitute for future diligent study and per- 
sistent effort toward self -improvement on the part 
of the individual. More valuable than any im- 
mediate equipment gained from any given 
teacher-training course is the professional ideal 
inculcated and the desire for even greater effi- 
ciency stimulated. To inspire those already 
engaged in the active service of teaching with 
high ideals and to provide all teachers with mani- 
fold opportunities for self -improvement and pro- 
fessional advancement is the first duty of the 
Church in providing for the training of its Sun- 
day-school teachers. 

The organization of training classes for pro- Training 
spective teachers is provided for in the curricu- classes for 
lum of the graded school as outlined in Chapter Telchers^ 
VII. Such classes grouped together constitute 
the Normal or Teacher Training Department of 
the school, and the course of study for this de- 
partment should cover a minimum of two years 
with a "two-period" session each Sunday, by 
which we mean that in the Normal Department 
of the Sunday school the regular session should 
be long enough to permit of being divided into 
two periods, each from thirty-five to fifty min- 
utes in length, thus permitting of a two-lesson 
system providing for two parallel courses, one 
in Bible study and the other in the theory and 
method of teaching or in child study. Where the 



222 The Graded Sunday School 

school meets in the afternoon this department 
might prolong its session for half an hour after 
the other departments of the school have been dis- 
missed. Where the "two-period" session is im- 
practicable the one lesson period should be sup- 
plemented by a class session held once a week 
apart from the school, perhaps in connection with 
the weekly teachers' meeting as suggested below. 
Such a two-year course in teacher-training would 
be about equivalent to the minimum requirement 
for one full year's work at college. A three-year 
course on the "two-period" plan plus an equal 
amount of work done in classes provided for 
teachers already in service, together with the 
experience acquired in actual teaching in the 
interim, would be equivalent to a three-year 
course of study in a creditable normal school. 
"Teachers' The traditional teachers' meeting may be 

Meeting" utilized to advantage. The evening devoted to it 

should be guarded against other encroaching 
engagements. The meeting itself should be 
the most profitable week-night meeting of the 
church. The time devoted to the meeting 
should be utilized to the utmost. The first 
forty-five to fifty minutes of the hour might 
be given each week to a lesson or lecture 
in a general course in Bible study, pedagogy, 
psychology, or child study. Following this the 
remainder of the evening might be given to group 
work, the teachers of each division or depart- 
ment of the school meeting together as a class 
for counsel and discussion of their peculiar 
department problems or for study. In either 
case this second part of the evening's program 



Professional Preparation of Teachers 223 

should be as carefully planned and as system- 
atically carried out as the first. The division or 
department superintendent should be in charge. 

Reading and study circles offer another means Reading and 
for the improvement of teachers in service. A Study Circles 
well-selected reference library for teachers could 
be made the basis of material for the work of a 
circle of this character. The teachers of each 
department might form separate circles and 
report on their reading and study in the depart- 
mental gathering at the weekly teachers' meeting. 
Thus a given book of the Bible, period of Bible 
or missionary history, or text-book in pedagogy 
might form the basis of reports and discussions 
for a given number of evenings. Occasional book 
reviews and summaries of magazine reading bear- 
ing on Sunday-school teaching would be appro- 
priate. Everything, however, should be done 
according to definite plan, in order that there may 
be topical sequence and measurable progress in 
the work. 

Who shall be the teacher of teachers? Shall The Teacher 
it be the pastor with his other responsibilities and of Teachers 
duties? Or shall it be a specially employed 
director of religious instruction who shall at the 
same time be the paid superintendent of the 
school? In time no doubt it will be more gen- 
erally the latter. In churches so situated finan- 
cially as to be able to provide for any kind of 
pastor's assistant, the first investment should 
be in this field. 

Here also lies one of the greatest opportunities A Tea ching 
of the ministry. The next great revival in the Ministry 
Christian Church, we may confidently expect, 



224 The Graded Sunday School 

will be a revival of religious education centering 
in the Sunday school. The new era upon which 
we are entering will demand a teaching ministry 
and a ministry of teaching in which the pastor 
must be the guide and leader of the educational 
forces in the Church. As a teacher of teachers 
it will be his privilege to exemplify by his own 
mastery of both subject-matter and method in 
religious instruction the high ideals of efficiency 
which should inspire his teachers in their work. 
This means that to the present equipment of 
pastors for their work must be added a thorough 
training in pedagogy, including the principles and 
philosophy of education, methods of teaching, 
and school management. What, if anything, may 
be omitted from the present curriculum of the 
theological seminary to make place for this train- 
ing we are not prepared to say. Perhaps the 
advanced requirements in Hebrew and Greek 
might be made optional and the departments of 
systematic and practical theology be adjusted to 
include the philosophy of education and the theory 
and practice of teaching, respectively. There is 
no more urgent demand made upon the theological 
seminary to-day than that it shall train and equip 
its students so as to qualify them to at least 
intelligently supervise the training of Sunday- 
school teachers. 



XXI 
STANDARD COURSES IN TEACHER TRAINING 

The introduction of the new graded lesson serious 
courses for the Sunday school is rapidly com- Educational 
pelling us to regard the problem of teacher train- 
ing more seriously than it has been regarded 
heretofore. Indeed, we are coming to under- 
stand that the entire work of the Sunday school 
is one of serious educational effort, as well as of 
religious devotion and enthusiasm. Past and 
present standards, therefore, in every department 
of Sunday-school work must be constantly ad- 
vancing. The necessity of such advancement in 
the case of the so-called standard courses in 
teacher training authorized by the joint action 
of the different churches cooperating through 
the channel of the International Sunday School 
Association seems to us to be imperative. 

The present requirements of these courses a Higher 
were set forth in the preceding chapter. It is Si |°™ 
our purpose at this point to suggest a higher 
minimum for each of the two standard courses 
and to outline briefly what this minimum in each 
case should include. 

Prerequisites 

There are certain general qualifications which 
should be considered as indispensable prereq- 
uisites in the equipment of the teacher of re- 
ligion. These are a personal religious experience, 
225 



Religious 
Experience 



Knowledge of 
Child Life 



226 The Graded Sunday School 

a genuine and sympathetic interest in children, a 
good common-school education, a general knowl- 
edge of Bible history, and an acquaintance with 
the organized activities of the Christian Church. 

By a personal religious experience we do not 
mean an experience of any specific form or type. 
The religious life is as truly individualistic and 
varied as is personality itself, and no one has 
a right to demand of others precisely the same 
type of religious experience that he himself pos- 
sesses. Yet the Christian Church has a right to 
require of those into whose hands it intrusts the 
religious training of its children and young peo- 
ple an experimental knowledge of religion, a 
vital and transforming religious faith, a con- 
scious possession of the life of the Spirit, such 
as will inspire in the pupil both a confidence in 
the teacher and his message and an earnest desire 
to attain a like faith and personal experience. 

Yet, not every one who possesses such a reli- 
gious experience is qualified to teach religion. 
Every devout believer is privileged to be a wit- 
ness of the truth, both in the daily conduct of 
his life and by word of testimony in public and 
in private. But it is quite another thing to 
undertake the careful and systematic religious in- 
struction and training of others. For this both 
a natural aptitude and an adequate fund of essen- 
tial knowledge are necessary. On the side of 
personal aptitude belong a genuine interest in 
children, a sympathetic appreciation of the im- 
portance of childhood for religious training, and 
some understanding of the gradually unfolding 
religious life in the individual. Without this 



Standard Courses in Teacher Training 227 

sympathetic interest in childhood and this appre- 
ciation of its capacity for religious development 
any subsequent acquaintance with the theories of 
child study and religious pedagogy would be of 
comparatively little value. 

In like manner it may be said that while a a Good 
good education is not essential to a deep and Education 
genuine religious experience, or to a life of 
righteousness and Christian service, such an edu- 
cation is essential to the effective teaching of re- 
ligious truth and the orderly training of Chris- 
tian character. One baneful influence within the 
Christian Church in the past has been the notion 
that every individual possessing a personal re- 
ligious experience was by virtue of that expe- 
rience — and often to the degree to which that 
experience was exceptional and extraordinary — 
qualified to be the religious teacher of others. 
Fortunately the great apostles of the faith in all 
ages since the dawn of Christianity have realized 
the importance of educational as well as spiritual 
qualifications for the office of teacher in the 
Christian Church. Moreover every great for- 
ward movement in the Christian Church since its 
organization has been marked by an emphasis 
upon educational ideals and methods. The 
apostolic church was a teaching church; the 
great reformers of the Middle Ages and sub- 
sequently were the schoolmasters as well as the 
religious leaders of their time, and the most 
promising aspect of the modern missionary move- 
ment is its educational emphasis, which in its 
program of world evangelism looks to the future 
and depends upon pedagogical and scientific 



228 The Graded Sunday School 

methods of instruction for the largest results. 
The educational emphasis in the graded Sunday- 
school movement is, therefore, not an innovation, 
but rather a return to the emphasis and method of 
Church fathers and reformers of the past. The 
Christian teacher in the Christian Sunday school 
should possess an education sufficient in its scope 
to command the intellectual confidence of his 
pupils. 
Bible study Under the graded lesson system no person 

should be considered qualified to teach in the 
Sunday school who has not a general knowledge 
of the Bible and of the significance and organiza- 
tion of the Christian Church equivalent at least 
to that possessed by Sunday-school pupils who 
have come up through the grades of the Junior 
and Intermediate departments of a well-graded 
school. The requirements of the Junior and In- 
termediate grades, therefore, including the writ- 
ten work prescribed for the several courses, 
should be counted among the essential prereq- 
uisites which the prospective Sunday-school 
teacher will have mastered even before entering 
upon the special preparation offered by the Ele- 
mentary or First Standard Course. 

First Standard Course 

Minimum The First Standard Course may be considered 

Requirements ag re p resen ti n g the absolute minimum of formal 
training and study, without the equivalent of 
which no person should be appointed to the 
important office of teacher in the School of 
Religious Instruction. Given the essential pre- 
requisites outlined above, the minimum require- 



Standard Courses in Teacher Training 229 

ments of the First Standard Course should in- 
clude the equivalent of not less than 120 lesson 
periods. Of these at least 50 lessons should be 
devoted to the study of the Bible with a special 
view to teaching, and 50 lessons to religious 
pedagogy, covering the three subjects the pupil, 
the teacher, and the school, with the remaining 
20 lessons for elective work either in church 
history, missionary study, or some specialized 
form of Christian service. 

In addition to the regular text-book or lecture Required 
work presupposed in the above minimum, each Readm e s 
pupil pursuing the First Standard Course should 
be required to read certain classic chapters in 
standard works on pedagogy, together with 
similar selections from the best text-books on 
"Bible introduction." This supplementary read- 
ing should in the aggregate equal in volume one 
ordinary 8vo book of approximately 300 pages, 
or 25 chapters of an average length of 12 pages. 

By dividing the weekly recitation hour into two Credits 
periods of forty-five minutes each, the one de- Rec °e nition 
voted to Bible study and the other to the study 
in pedagogy, with special provision for the 
elective studies in church history, modern mis- 
sions, or other subjects, it should be possible 
for an earnest class of young people to complete 
the requirements of such a First Standard Course 
in a single year. Where, however, the time at the 
disposal of class members for preparation and 
study, or other local conditions, make this im- 
practicable, the work should be divided and 
arranged so as to complete specified units of the 
total during the year. For the completion of 



23O The Graded Sunday School 

such units of work there should be some formal 
recognition in the way of a certificate indicating 
the subject and the portion of the total course 
completed. The completion of the First Standard 
Course as a whole should entitle the student to 
the First Standard Course diploma, issued by the 
Sunday-school department of the church or de- 
nomination furnishing the text-books. Credit 
should also be given for advanced work in Bible 
study pursued in the Senior or Adult depart- 
ments of a graded Sunday school. The Inter- 
national graded courses provide for the second 
and third year of the Senior Department (ages 
18, 19) respectively an Old and a New Testament 
survey, covering nine months of regular Sunday- 
school work each. For the satisfactory comple- 
tion of these Old and New Testament studies in 
the Senior Department, credit should be allowed 
toward the First Standard Course diploma in 
teacher training on the basis of a credit of 
fifteen lesson periods for the work of each of the 
two Senior years, or a total of thirty lesson 
periods for the second and third year Senior 
studies. A student having completed the third 
year Senior course of Bible study would thus be 
required to have only twenty additional lessons 
on the Bible in order to complete the Bible study 
work required for the diploma. These twenty 
lessons should be from a text-book prepared espe- 
cially for teacher-training classes. 

Advanced Standard Course 
Prerequisites j n addition to the prerequisites already in- 

dicated for all teacher-training courses, students 



Standard Courses in Teacher Training 23 1 

desiring to enter upon the Advanced or Second 
Standard Course in teacher training should 
have completed the work in Bible study and in 
religious pedagogy required for the First Stand- 
ard Course, or the equivalent of such work. 

The requirements of the Advanced Standard college Basis 
Course itself should be put on a basis of college 
and normal school requirements for one full 
year's residence work. That is to say, the total 
requirements for the course should be made to 
equal in quality and quantity, though not in sub- 
ject-matter, approximately one year's residence 
work in a high class college or normal school. 
This would mean about 240 lesson periods, or 
the equivalent of eight lesson periods per week 
for thirty weeks, plus certain specified require- 
ments in collateral reading, with reports and 
synopses of books and chapters read. These 
240 lesson periods should be divided after the 
manner of college graduate work between one 
major and two minor subjects, as follows: 

Major Subject 120 Hours 

First Minor Subject 60 Hours 

Second Minor Subject ... 60 Hours 

Total 240 Hours 

The major subject in every case should be Major and 
Bible Study, and the first minor religious peda- Minor Subjects 
gogy, under which head should be included, as 
in the First Standard Course requirements, all 
the work usually grouped under the heads of 
the teacher, the pupil, the school. The second 
minor subject should be elective, the student be- 
ing permitted to choose from among a number 



232 The Graded Sunday School 

of specified subjects, including church history, 
modern missions, Christian ethics, and social 
service; or the student may be permitted to 
divide the second minor between any two of these 
subjects, provided that not less than thirty hours 
shall be devoted to each subject selected for 
credit work. The collateral readings required 
should be indicated by book title, chapter head- 
ing, and pages, and be equivalent to a mini- 
mum of five pages per lesson (1,500 words), 
or a total for the entire course of 600 pages for 
the major subject and 300 pages for each minor 
subject. The completion of the course would 
thus require, in addition to the regular 240 lesson 
periods, the reading of supplementary matter 
equivalent to four books of 300 pages each, or 
two such books on Bible study and one each on 
religious pedagogy and the second minor sub- 
ject, either church history, modern missions, 
ethics, or social service, 
collateral To illustrate the type of collateral reading to 

Reading k e required, let us take religious pedagogy as an 

example. No matter what text-book or text- 
books may be used, no person should be per- 
mitted to receive the Advanced Standard Course 
diploma who has not read the selected best chap- 
ters in such books as the following: 

Genetic Psychology Kirkpatrick 

How to Study and Teaching How 

to Study McMurry 

Psychological Principles in Educa- 
tion, Part 3 Home 

The Spiritual Life Coe 

Principles and Ideals for the Sunday 

School Burton and Mathews 



Standard Courses in Teacher Training 233 

The Pedagogical Bible School Haslett 

The Point of Contact in Teaching. . DuBois 
How We Think Dewey 

and others of equal prominence and value. 

As in the First Standard Course, the satisfac- credits in 
tory completion of the Bible study work for the Bible Study 
second and third year Senior courses of the 
graded lesson system should entitle the pupil to 
credits as follows: 

For the Second Year Senior (Old Testament). . . 15 Hours 
For the Third Year Senior (New Testament) ... 15 Hours 

Total 30 Hours 

For Bible study work done in college or prepara- 
tory school credit should be allowed on the basis 
of hour for hour, provided that not more than 
half the allowed credits shall be for Old Testa- 
ment study and not more than half for New 
Testament study. 

Credits should also be allowed for all mission- credits in 
ary, church history, and social service subjects Minor subjects 
pursued in the regular graded Sunday-school 
courses, on a general basis of five hours* credit 
for ten hours work, provided that no credit of 
less than ten hours shall be allowed in any one 
subject. For the completion of the first year 
course on The World a Field for Christian Serv- 
ice a credit of fifteen hours should be allowed on 
the second minor, if taken either in missionary 
history or social service. In like manner ap- 
propriate credit should be allowed in church 
history for the completion of the fourth year 
Intermediate course on Studies in Christian 
Living. For work done in college or normal 



234 Th e Graded Sunday School 

school in psychology or pedagogy, allow credits 
hour for hour, provided that a minimum of 
thirty hours of the required sixty lesson periods 
in the first minor subject shall be specifically in 
the field of religious and not general pedagogy. 
For college work done in any second minor sub- 
ject credit should be allowed hour for hour, 
standard If the general suggestions which have been 

courses made in the foregoing pages are adopted, the re- 

Worth While - . •*!.*-.•• mi 

suiting courses in teacher training will comport 
with the dignity and importance of Sunday- 
school work at its best. They will challenge the 
attention, interest, and effort of our best and 
strongest young people. Such courses in teacher 
training will command the respect of the thought- 
ful adult constituency of the church and com- 
munity. They will be standard teacher-training 
courses worthy of the name and in every sense 
worth while. 



XXII 

THE SCHOOL OF TO-MORROW 

Yesterday to-day was to-morrow, and to- Yesterday, 
morrow to-day will be yesterday. Institutions, To - da y> and 
like individuals, are the product of growth and 
development. There is a great difference be- 
tween a boy at five and the same boy at fifteen 
and again at fifty. Yet all that the man is to be 
in the prime of his mature development, all that 
he is to possess of force, judgment, social re- 
sponsiveness, and efficiency, is already present 
potentially in the lad and, to the experienced 
observer of human kind, already discernible in 
the youth. 

There is a vast difference between the simple in church 
Christian fellowship of apostolic times and the and Sunday 
highly organized Church of to-day; and there 
will be an even greater difference between the 
Church of the future and that of the present. 
Yet in the Church of the present that of the past 
and that of the future meet. So it is with every 
department of the Church to which the continual 
process of differentiation and specialization in its 
forms of work and service has given rise. So it 
is in the Sunday school. 

In forecasting the character of the Sunday The school 
school of to-morrow, on a basis of what in the of To-morrow 
preceding chapters we have discovered to be the 
general trend among progressive "up-to-date" 
schools of to-day, several distinguishing features 
of the coming Sunday school sug-gest themselves. 
235 



236 



The Graded Sunday School 



A School 
in Fact 



Recognition 



Graded 
Curriculum 



The school of to-morrow will be a school in 
fact as well as in name. The emphasis and 
method in its work will be educational. The 
motive and aim will continue to be religious ; but 
with increasing knowledge of child life, and of 
the laws of physical and mental development, that 
aim will become more specific and the method of 
its attainment more scientific, and hence more 
trustworthy. 

This means greater efficiency and larger re- 
turns on the amount of time, effort, and money 
invested in the school. And with increased 
efficiency in the Sunday school there will come a 
better and a fuller appreciation of the great im- 
portance of its work to the church and to the 
community, and a disposition to accord to the 
Sunday school its rightful place of supreme im- 
portance among the agencies by means of which 
the Church undertakes to win men to the king- 
dom of heaven and to enlist them in unselfish 
Christian service for their fellow men. 

Being a school in fact, the Sunday school of 
to-morrow will be dominated by the educational 
ideal, and this ideal, because it is itself constantly 
advancing and expanding, will be higher even 
than that ideal which is responsible for all that is 
best and most fraught with promise in the school 
of to-day. There will be a graded curriculum 
and one which provides proper care and nurture 
for the unfolding religious life at each successive 
stage of its development. This curriculum will be 
the product, not of chance or guess work, but of 
experience based on sound pedagogical principles. 
It will be better than the best available to-day, 



The School of To-morrow 237 

because itself the outgrowth of a long series of 
successive improvements resulting from intelli- 
gent experimentation on the part of many pro- 
gressive schools. 

The Sunday school of to-morrow will be Properly 
properly housed and equipped. Specialized work Housed 
demands a special workshop. It is easier to 
preach to adults crowded between the seats and 
desks of a country schoolhouse than to teach 
properly in a church auditorium. It is safe to 
say that the Sunday-school architecture of to- 
morrow will be as far in advance of that of 
to-day as the best and most serviceable Sunday- 
school building of the present is in advance of the 
one-room church building of a generation ago in 
its adaptability for Sunday-school purposes. 

Among the working principles which will 
govern the construction of the Sunday-school 
building of the immediate future will be included 
the following: 

1. It will be a school building and not simply construction 
an auditorium or room for general assembly. Princi P les 
The school and its needs will be the starting 

point in planning the building. 

2. Each grade and department will be com- 
fortably housed in a separate room or group of 
rooms. 

3. The separate classroom will be the unit. Its 
necessary space dimensions, height of ceiling, 
size and placing of windows, etc., together with 
the number of rooms needed, will determine the 
plan of the building as a whole. 

4. A general assembly hall, while desirable, 
will not be considered an essential. Upon rare 



238 The Graded Sunday School 

occasions when it may be desirable to have the 
entire school assemble together, the church audi- 
torium will take the place of the special Sunday- 
school auditorium for all churches of moderate 
means. Pedagogically it would be considered 
better to separate at least the Beginners, Primary, 
and Junior Departments from the main school 
and from each other during the entire session, 
adapting the opening and closing exercises in 
each department to its especial needs. 

5. The number of separate classrooms needed 
will depend upon the enrollment of the several 
departments. A separate room for each of the 
following departments would seem to be the 
minimum: Beginners, Primary, Junior, Inter- 
mediate, Senior, Advanced or Adult. Where the 
department enrollments are large, with all grades 
of the department represented, a separate room 
for each grade group above the Beginners would 
be ideal. 
Furniture In the matter of furniture and equipment the 

and Equip- schoolroom and its needs rather than the audi- 
torium or general assembly hall will be kept in 
mind. For the Beginners Department there 
will be kindergarten chairs and tables, with 
other furniture permitting of the arrangement of 
large and small pictures and objects within easy 
reach of the pupils. For the Primary and Junior 
Departments suitable tables and materials for 
modeling in sand, paper cutting, the mounting of 
pictures, drawing, etc., will be provided. In the 
higher grades of the Intermediate and Senior 
Department tables or desks such as are used in 
public-school work, blackboards, maps, charts, 



ment 



The School of To-morrow 239 

and alcoves for reference and supplemental books 
will be provided. 

In the coming Sunday-school classroom the Trained 
work done will be directed and presided over by Teachers 
trained teachers. The standard of teacher-train- 
ing in the future will be in keeping with the 
character of the work expected of the school as a 
whole. Here as in every other department of the 
Sunday school the introduction of the graded 
curriculum will bring with it a quick and radical 
change for the better. Indeed, a course of study 
constructed on right pedagogical principles can 
yield its best results only in the hands of teachers 
who understand those principles and the methods 
by which in each grade the aims of the course of 
study can be best achieved and who understand 
also the pupils to whose spiritual and religious 
needs the work of each grade is intended 
especially to minister. 

Considered from the standpoint of the work of Valued at Full 
the church in its entirety, the Sunday school of Worth 
to-morrow will be valued at its full worth. This 
has not been the case with the Sunday school of 
the past, which has been called upon not only to 
bear the burden of its own support, but to bear 
the burden also for the major part of the support 
of many other church enterprises. The work of 
the Bible school itself must come to be recog- 
nized as of first importance, and the school must 
not be regarded as in any sense a convenient 
adjunct institution for the raising of funds for all 
sorts of benevolent enterprises. Not that the 
Sunday school of the future will not be interested 
in its own expenditures or in church benevo- 



240 The Graded Sunday School 

lences, but rather that the school itself will first 
of all be considered in the annual budget of the 
church, and its financial needs provided for in the 
same way as the pastor's salary or any other item 
in the annual list of church expenditures. There 
will be instruction in the Sunday school in sys- 
tematic giving, and an intelligent interest in every 
benevolent enterprise of the local and general 
church will be inculcated; but the giving ex- 
pected of the pupils will not be as now in hap- 
hazard response to emotional appeals recurring 
with methodical regularity, nor yet in response to 
an unwholesome spirit of rivalry in the matter of 
giving by classes. 
Right of way Because valued at its full worth the Sunday 
school of the future will be given right of way as 
the educational arm of the church. It is rapidly 
coming to be recognized that the work of the 
church in the community is one of preservation 
and nurture more largely even than it is a work 
of rescue. With the gathering in of the children 
of the community into the Sunday school and the 
introduction of wise and systematic methods of 
instruction, based upon a proper understanding 
of child life and its needs, it may reasonably be 
expected that the work of the school will yield 
infinitely larger returns in the proper religious 
training of all or a majority of the children of the 
community than has heretofore been considered 
* possible. 

In the Sunday school of to-morrow the pastor 
will recognize his supreme opportunity. He will 
become a teacher as well as a preacher. His will 
be in many instances the work of a teacher of 



The Pastor's 
Opportunity 



The School of To-morrow 24 1 

teachers for his school. But for this new and 
larger educational work which will devolve upon 
him the pastor will himself need special prep- 
aration. The higher institutions of learning, 
supported and controlled by the Church, and 
especially the theological seminaries, will take 
cognizance of this need and provide in their 
curricula of instruction the necessary courses in 
pedagogy, psychology, and child study. 

The Sunday school of to-morrow, finally, will a Progressive 
be a progressive institution. Its face will be institution 
turned toward the ever-expanding future. For it 
the past will have lessons of value, but no fetters. 
The ever-changing present will be indicative of 
the momentum and the trend of progress. Suc- 
cess will be measured by power of initiative and 
of self-direction, balanced by a proper apprecia- 
tion of and adherence to working principles al- 
ready established. The evidences of growth and 
progress, together with larger spiritual and social 
returns, will make both the field and the mission 
of the Sunday school seem more worth while to 
men and women of superior ability. The chal- 
lenge of the harvest with its multiplied opportu- 
nities for usefulness will enlist the services of 
many now indifferent to the need and value of 
religious instruction. 

It may not be given to many to choose whether our Place 
in the great army of Sunday-school workers of 
to-morrow they shall occupy a position in the 
van or in the rear. But, whatever his place may 
be, every earnest worker may accept it as prob- 
able that he has been providentially placed where 
he is. And wherever he may be, and however 



242 The Graded Sunday School 

difficult may be his particular field of labor, there 
is a word of encouragement for everyone. It is 
possible for every one to keep to the front in his 
thinking and reading. It is possible to ever 
more thoroughly equip himself for the particular 
service he is called upon to render. Then if it be 
not the privilege of every one to be a standard- 
bearer, and to march in the van, there will be no 
small degree of satisfaction in feeling that one is 
at least rendering intelligent as well as valuable 
and necessary service in bringing up the rear. 



APPENDICES 



APPENDIX A 

SUMMARY BY CHAPTERS, WITH QUESTIONS 
FOR REVIEW 

This appendix is added for the convenience of indi- 
viduals and classes desiring to use this Manual as a 
text-book for study. It is especially adapted for 
Teacher-Training classes. 



PART ONE 
The Graded Sunday School in Principle 

Chapter I. The Educational Emphasis in the 

Work of the Sunday School 

Summary 

Among the Hebrews ^M*^uring the early Christian 
centuries all education was dominated by the religious 
motive and aim. Theybroadening of the scope and 
aim of education in modern times has resulted largely 
from the rapid industrial development and material 
prosperity, and the consequent demand for a larger 
recognition of science, art, and literature in public 
education. 

The Sunday school in its origin and early history, 
both in England and America, was a charitable insti- 
tution designed for the secular instruction of the poor 
and neglected classes. In America it has since_ grad- 
ually become the recognized institution for specialized 
elementary instruction in religion and morals. 

The present-day educational emphasis in Sunday- 
school work is a revival rather than an innovation, 
and does not necessarily conflict with the deeper reli- 
gious purpose in Sunday-school work. 

Questions 

Who were the teachers and educational leaders in 

Israel? From what centers did the educational and 

cultural influences of the Hebrew nation radiate? 

How were church and school related in the Middle 

245 



246 The Graded Sunday School 

Ages? What change took place in this relationship in 
post- Reformation times? What has been the tend- 
ency in modern times? What are some of the limi- 
tations and disadvantages under which the Sunday- 
school of to-day labors ? How may these be overcome ? 

Chapter II. The Teacher: Place and Essential 

Qualifications 

Summary 

The determining factors in religious as in secular 
education are the pupil, the teacher, and the course 
of study or curriculum. The problem of the teacher 
relates itself to both the pupil and the curriculum, to 
the learner and to the subject-matter of instruction. 

The essential qualifications of a teacher include 
first of all a thorough mastery of his subject and an 
adequate knowledge and understanding of his pupils. 
Such knowledge gives to the teacher self-confidence 
and a right sense of perspective in his work. In the 
pupil it stimulates interest and enthusiasm and re- 
spect for the teacher. 

Questions 
In what sense must the teacher regard truth? State 
briefly the problem of the teacher. What do you 
understand by the process of learning? Indicate the 
scope of the Sunday-school teacher's essential knowl- 
edge touching the Bible. Indicate some of the things 
outside of Bible knowledge with which he must be 
familiar. In what way does a graded course of study 
make possible a better knowledge of the subject on 
the part of the teacher? In what sense must the 
teacher know his pupils ? 

Chapter III. The Pupil: Complex Nature op 
Consciousness 
Summary 
The means by which the religious consciousness and 
life unfold are those of feeling, knowing, and willing. 
Of these three elements that of feeling is fundamental. 
In religious education the cultivation of the emotional 
life is of the utmost importance. The desirable _ re- 
ligious emotions include those of reverence, adoration, 
aspiration, and love. 



Appendix A 247 

The intellectual factor in religious education is 
important both in the culture of the higher re- 
ligious emotions and in the training of the will. It 
is a safeguard against superstition and sentimental 
emotionalism. 

The power of free choice and the extent to which it 
determines action are sometimes overestimated. Re- 
ligious education in order to bring about the right 
choices upon a rational plane in later life must in the 
earlier years wisely stimulate and direct correct 
instinctive tendencies, inculcate high ideals, and aid 
in the formation of right habits. 

Questions 
Why is the position of the pupil central in the 
problem of education? ■ Upon what does perfect devel- 
opment in the child depend? Why is the element of 
feeling fundamental in the religious life? How is the 
element of feeling related to that of knowing, and 
how to that of willing? What constitutes the knowl- 
edge content of religion ? How are the ideals of beauty, 
truth, and holiness related in the religious life? 

Chapter IV. The School: Scheme of Organiza- 
tion and Grading 

Summary 

Thorough grading in the Sunday school implies the 
use of graded lesson material, measurable progress, 
annual promotions, and the organization of the school 
into grades, departments, and divisions. 

The three general divisions, with their respective 
departmental subdivisions, are as follows: (1) Elementary 
Division (ages 1 to 12), Cradle Roll, Beginners, Primary, 
and Junior departments; (2) Secondary Division (ages 
13 to 20), Intermediate, Senior, and Teacher-Training 
or Normal departments; (3) Advanced Division (adults), 
graduate courses and organized adult classes. This 
scheme of organization will be flexible, although de- 
ficient pupils should, as a rule, be cared for in special 
classes and not be permitted to interfere with the sys- 
tem of grading. 

Questions 

What two things are to be considered in a graded 
curriculum? Show that the scheme of grading pro- 
posed in this chapter is in harmony with public school 



248 The Graded Sunday School 

usage. How many departments, grades, teachers, and 
rooms are required for the Elementary Division? Where 
in the scheme of grading do the organized Bible 
classes belong? The teacher- training classes? 

Chapter V. The Curriculum or Subject- 
Matter of Instruction 

Summary 

In selecting the subject materials of Sunday-school 
instruction consideration must be given to the emo- 
tional life, the intellect, and the will. 

In the cultivation of the emotional side of the reli- 
gious life the general atmosphere, appointments, order, 
program, and conduct of the school, as well as the music 
and worship forms, are important. Hero-portraiture, 
the cultivation of the religious emotions, and the incul- 
cation of high personal ideals have each a rightful place 
in the curriculum. 

But knowledge also is essential to virtue. The course 
of study itself, while Biblio-centric, will take cognizance 
of all truth. Hence extra-biblical material also will be 
used in the lesson courses. 

The final problem in religious education is how to 
secure the desired response of the will in right action. 
This must be largely the result of proper training and 
of habituation in the earlier periods of religious develop- 
ment. The attainment of religious maturity and the 
establishment of high standards of life and conduct 
constitute the aim and goal of religious instruction. 

Questions 
State in different ways the threefold demand made 
upon religious instruction as pointed out in the first 
paragraph. Describe "the schoolroom beautiful." Why 
is knowledge essential to virtue? What extra-biblical 
materials will the Sunday-school curriculum naturally 
include? How do moral standards develop? 

Chapter VI. The Course of Study: Three 
Viewpoints 

Summary 
There are three principal viewpoints from which to 
study the problem of a course of study for the Sunday 
school. These are (1) The Historical, involving an 



Appendix A 249 

inquiry into what materials of instruction have been 
and are being used by the Christian Church, from which 
inquiry it would appear that the Bible has never been 
the sole text-book of religious instruction in Christian 
schools. 

(2) The Pedagogical, tracing the progress and develop- 
ment of modern Pedagogy, from the time of the Renais- 
sance down, within the Christian Church, and applying the 
results of such progress and development to our Sunday- 
school problem. 

(3) The Religious, revealing the fact that variety in 
teaching material is practically an essential, and that 
larger results are to be achieved in the symmetrical 
development of Christian character and the extension 
of the principles of the Kingdom by employing the ma- 
terial and tools best adapted to the present need and task. 

Questions 
From what three viewpoints may the making of a 
course of study for the Sunday school be considered? 
What facts regarding materials of instruction does a 
historical inquiry reveal? What were the chief text- 
books of instruction during the early Church and Reforma- 
tion periods? What relation has modern pedagogy to 
the field of religious education? What is the meaning 
of modern pedagogy as applied to our Sunday-school 
problem? Show that variety in teaching material is 
practical and essential. 



PART TWO 

The Graded Sunday School in its Historical Development 

Chapter VII. Early Beginnings in the Inter- 
national Field 

Summary 

The influence of public-school example is discernible 
in the early development of systematic instruction in 
the Sunday school. Sunday-school institutes and con- 
ventions were modeled after similar gatherings in the 
field of public education. The convention idea rather 
than that of the institute has predominated in Sunday- 
school work. 

The International Uniform Lesson System, adopted 
in 1872, was preceded by several other less generally 
accepted though equally good systems. The adoption 



250 The Graded Sunday School 

of the uniform system was brought about with great 
difficulty and largely through the untiring efforts of a 
few earnest advocates of uniformity, notably Mr. F. B. 
Jacobs and Dr. J. H. Vincent. 



When and where was the first normal class for the 
training of Sunday-school teachers organized? The 
first Sunday-school teachers' institute held? The first 
national Sunday-school convention? The last inter- 
national convention? Where was the first Sunday- 
school journal published? By whom was it edited? 
When was the International Lesson System adopted? 
Mention two systems that preceded this. 

Chapter VIII. The International Uniform Lessons 

Summary 

The International Uniform Lesson System has been 
of service in (1) its unifying influence upon the work 
of the Sunday school, (2) making possible concentra- 
tion of effort and the production of a high grade of Sunday- 
school literature at a low cost, (3) inculcating the spirit 
of cooperation and enthusiasm. 

The inherent defect of the system is that the prin- 
ciple of uniformity upon which it rests is contrary to 
every recognized principle of child study and religious 
pedagogy. It wholly ignores the changing needs of 
developing child life. 

With the transfer of emphasis to the educational aim 
and work of the Sunday school a change from uniform 
to graded lessons became imperative. 

Questions 
How is the International Lesson Committee con- 
stituted? What is the work of this Committee? Of 
what value has the machinery of the International Sunday 
School Association been in the development of Sunday- 
school work and lesson courses? Criticise the Uniform 
Lesson System and illustrate by an example taken from 
this series of lessons. 

Chapter IX. Steps Toward the Graded System 

Summary 
The need of graded lesson material was first keenly 
felt in the Beginners and Primary departments of the 



Appendix A 25 1 

school. A two-year Beginners course of lessons was 
outlined by the Denver Convention in 1902. 

Since 1902 the progress toward thoroughly graded 
courses, though gradual, has been rapidly cumulative. 
A completely graded course of study for the Sunday 
school was authorized by the Louisville Convention in 
1908. 

Important events prior to the Louisville Convention 
bearing upon the ultimate outcome were the Toronto 
Convention (1905), London Conference (1907), and the 
Boston Conference (1908). Among the forces con- 
tributing to the forward movement are to be noted 
denominational initiative, the Religious Education Asso- 
ciation, and the Sunday School Editorial Association. 

Questions 
What part did the National Primary _ Teachers' 
Union play in the movement toward graded instruction 
in the Sunday school? What was the Boston Conference? 
What action did it take? What influence did the follow- 
ing factors exert toward the adoption of graded courses. 

(1) Independent experimentation of individual schools? 

(2) Bible Study Union or Blakeslee courses? (3) De- 
nominational initiative? Explain the aims and methods 
of work of the Religious Education Association. Of 
the Sunday School Council of Evangelical Denominations. 

PART THREE 
The Sunday School In Practice 
Chapter X. Three University Schools 
Summary 
The Sunday-school movement in America is indebted 
for much of its progress along educational lines to_ the 
criticism and suggestion emanating from certain univer- 
sity centers, which have furnished special educational 
facilities and favorable conditions for experimentation 
in the use of graded courses of instruction for the Sunday 
school. 

The two outstanding educational principles upon 
which the work of these experimental or "model" Sunday 
schools is based are (1) the principle of self-expression, 
demanding for its realization the manual method of 
instruction; and (2) the principle of grading applied to 
the material of instruction in a scientifically graded 
curriculum. 



252 The Graded Sunday School 

Questions 
What three university Sunday schools are described 
in this chapter? Indicate the points in which all are 
alike. In what sense may these schools be termed "model" 
Sunday schools? In what respects are they not models? 
Do the same educational principles hold good in secular 
and in religious education? 

Chapter XI. Other Typical Schools 

Summary 

The ideal of a thoroughly graded course of study 
for the Sunday school is within the reach of every aver- 
age school. The lack of suitable classroom facilities, 
perfect equipment, or an expert teaching force does 
not constitute an insurmountable barrier to the intro- 
duction of graded curricula or manual methods. 

Graded religious instruction in the Sunday school is 
no longer an experiment, since graded courses and text- 
books have found wide acceptance. 

Questions 
In what respects does each of the schools described 
in this chapter differ from those mentioned in chapter 
x? What advantage and what disadvantages are 
there in dividing the school into two sessions? Why 
are manual methods essential in graded Sunday-school 
work? Could manual methods be used to equal ad- 
vantage in connection with a uniform lesson? 

Chapter XII. Denominational and Independent 
Courses and Text-Books 

Summary 

Various denominations as well as individuals have 
long interested themselves in graded courses of instruc- 
tion for the Sunday school. Prominent among these 
courses have been those of the Protestant Episcopal 
Church and courses for use in Jewish and Unitarian 
schools, none of which have been closely affiliated with 
the International Sunday School Association or the 
International Lesson System. 

Independent courses and text-books have also been 
prepared by individuals and societies. Among these the 
Bible Study Union courses (new series) and the Uni- 
versity of Chicago texts are the most noteworthy. An 



Appendix A 253 

Outline for^ a Bible School Curriculum, by Professor 
George William Pease, also deserves mention. 

Questions 
How has the Joint Sunday School Commission of the 
Protestant Episcopal Church aided the development ot 
better courses of instruction for the Sunday school? 
According to the statement of principles prepared by this 
Joint Commission, what should be the aim and what the 
teaching material for each department of the graded 
Sunday school? How does the Bible Study Union 
course (new series) differ either in aim or material for 
each department from the Joint Commission outline? 
What are the aims of the course of study prepared for 
Jewish religious schools? Name some of the subjects 
covered in the Unitarian Sunday School Courses. Com- 
pare and contrast the outline for Jewish Religious Schools 
with that of Professor Pease. 

Chapter XIII. The International Graded Course 

Summary 

The International Graded Course of Study for the 
Sunday school is the rich fruitage of years of increas- 
ingly successful experimentation upon the part of 
individual schools and denominations. It incorporates 
in itself the best features of the courses already described. 

The entire course is arranged in units of one year, 
and may therefore be used with any departmental sys- 
tem of organization, although the grouping of the work 
into departments as indicated is in harmony with the 
generally accepted usage in American Sunday schools. 
The several grade courses are planned to begin in October 
and end in June, although work for the entire year is 
provided in each case. 

The course aims to meet the spiritual needs of the 
pupil at each stage of his development. The knowl- 
edge already in the possession of the pupil from his public- 
school work as well as the average natural ability of 
pupils at every given age has been considered in the 
selection of the subject-material for the several depart- 
mental courses. 

Questions 

Give the specific aim of the Beginners, Primary, 
Junior, and Intermediate sections of the International 
Graded Courses. How is the subject-matter for Be- 
ginners and Primary work treated? How was the Junior 



254 Th e Graded Sunday School 

course constructed? What extra-biblical material is 
used in the Junior course? In the Intermediate course? 
What is the value of the studies in the first year 
Senior? 

Chapter XIV. Grading the Local School 
Summary 

There are two methods of grading the local Sunday- 
school: (i) the simultaneous, or abrupt method, and 
(2) the gradual method. The simultaneous method 
aims to inaugurate a completely graded course of study 
for the whole school at one time, and requires most 
thorough preparation in advance. The gradual method 
begins at the bottom of the school or of a department, 
and introduces graded courses one year's work at a 
time, or as rapidly as classes are prepared to do the work. 
For most schools the gradual method of grading will 
be the better, though the work of grading may be be- 
gun and carried forward simultaneously in several de- 
partments. 

Questions 

What are the preliminary steps necessary to the actual 
grading of a Sunday school? On whom does the respon- 
sibility for thoroughly grading the school rest? What 
are the relative advantages of each of the two methods 
of grading described? Are these advantages the same 
for all departments of the school? 

Chapter XV. Supervising the Graded School 

Summary 

Denominational or church control and supervision 
of the Sunday school makes for strength, permanency, 
and educational efficiency. This supervision may be 
exercised by the church through the school or educational 
committee and the regularly appointed supervisory officers 
of the school. 

The Sunday-school superintendent should be a super- 
visor of instruction as well as an executive director of the 
school. Given the essential educational as well as execu- 
tive qualifications, the supervising superintendent should 
be given large authority, be made responsible to the 
church through its educational committee, and be paid for 
his services. 

There should be a supervising superintendent for each 



Appendix A 255 

division and a supervising teacher or superintendent for 
each department. 

Questions 

How may congregational interest in the Sunday school 
be secured? How should the Sunday School Board be 
related to the educational or school committee? What in 
detail will be the duties of the supervising superintendent? 
Of a supervising teacher within a department? In what 
does the supervision of the work of teachers consist? 
What is a lesson plan, and what is its value? What 
latitude should be given to teachers in their work? 
What need can there be of revising a good course of 
study? 

Chapter XVI. Supervising the Graded School 
(Continued) 

Summary 

Tests and examinations rightly conducted have a 
place in the Sunday school. They are of value pri- 
marily to the pupil; should constitute a review of the 
main points of the work covered; should ordinarily be 
prepared and conducted by the teacher and not be too 
frequent. 

Promotions in the Sunday school should be made 
on the twofold basis of merit and religious maturity. 
Final authority in the matter of promotion should 
rest with the general superintendent or educational 
supervisor of the school. 

There should be a proper gradation of recognition 
forms, including certificates and diplomas, which should 
not be given too frequently. School, departmental, 
and grade records and reports should be made out 
according to a well-defined system, responsibility for 
which should rest with the supervising officer or officers 
of the school. 

Questions 

In what specific ways may examinations and tests 
prove helpful to the pupil? To the teacher? Indicate 
a satisfactory gradation of recognition forms for the 
Sunday school. What record of the individual pupil's 
work should the teacher keep? How often should reports 
be sent to parents? What should be the nature of such 
reports? 



256 The Graded Sunday School 

Chapter XVII. Departmental and Class 
Organization 

Summary 

In modern movements, commercial, social, and reli- 
gious, organization plays large part, and the governing 
principle of all such cooperative effort is mutual interest 
and sympathies on the part of those working together. 
Each department of a graded school should be thoroughly 
organized. An active, sympathetic department superin- 
tendent, understanding grading and the purpose of the 
courses used; trained and interested teachers; pupils 
graded according to age and general ability; a separate 
room for each department, where possible; a carefully 
graded course of study; a department supervisor where 
needed ; and regular teachers' meetings — these are some of 
the ideals for the graded school. 

In the Elementary Division there will be little 
occasion for pupil organization, except in the Junior 
Department, which may be organized as a whole into 
a simply constituted and carefully supervised league or 
society, with specific aims and times for meeting. Class 
and departmental organization play a more important 
role in the Secondary Division. Since Senior pupils differ 
distinctly from Intermediates, the organizations within the 
two departments will also differ materially. If both 
are admitted to one organization, the older group should 
be accorded special privileges. 

In the Adult Division, and especially in the Organ- 
ized Adult Bible Class, the advantages of organization 
are most evident, with well-defined and specific aims. 
Organic connection with a Sunday school, specified 
officers and committees, and adult members only, are 
some of the requirements of the International Standard 
of Organization. 

Questions 

What is the governing principle in all organized move- 
ments? What are some of the ideals toward which a 
graded school should work? What type of organization 
should be encouraged in a Junior Department, and what 
should be its object and aim? How could an Inter- 
mediate Department as a whole be organized? What 
other organizations have place in the Intermediate De- 
partment? What should be the points of difference in 
Intermediate and Senior organizations? What specific 
advantages has class organization in the Adult Bible 



Appendix A 257 

Class Department? What are the requirements of the 
International Standard of Organization? 

Chapter XVIII. Special Days and Their Observance 
in the Graded Sunday School 

Summary 

Four days should be given special attention and cele- 
bration in the Sunday-school year: 

Rally Day, marking the annual autumnal ingathering 
and enrollment of pupils following the vacation period, 
should be celebrated with appropriate special exercises, 
emphasizing the essential importance and advantage of 
membership in a school for religious instruction. The 
date may be varied to suit the convenience of the indi- 
vidual school. 

The Christmas celebration should be truly religious 
in character, inculcating in the pupils the principles 
of Christian altruism and placing strong emphasis upon 
the joy of giving. 

The Easter service should be likewise reverently 
religious, with a prevailing note of Christian triumph 
and gladness, and continued emphasis on the blessedness 
of service. 

The Children's Day program should be made as nearly 
as possible the children's own, placing stress upon the 
necessity and importance of religious education and 
liberal Christian training. In some larger schools this 
day may be utilized as commencement and promotion 
day, with appropriate exercises and demonstrations of 
department and grade work. The observance of De- 
cision Day must not be forced. Such a day may be 
observed to the best advantage in separate classes or 
departments. It has little or no place in the Primary 
grades. 

In general, the multiplication of special _ days in the 
Sunday school should be avoided, since their observance 
interferes with the serious work of the school in pur- 
suing a course of religious instruction. 

Questions 
What twofold purpose should Rally Day serve? What 
kind of a program should be provided? What feature 
should be prominent in the Christmas program? What in 
the Easter program? What should be the object of 
Children's Day and how should it be observed? Com- 
pare the new type of evangelism in the Sunday school 



258 The Graded Sunday School 

with the old. To which type does the observance of 
Decision Day simultaneously in all the grades of the 
school belong? Why should the tendency to multiply 
special days in the Sunday school be discouraged? 

Chapter XIX. The Sunday School Library 
Summary 
The decline of the Sunday-school library during the 
past generation is due (1) to the rapid increase of public 
and public-school libraries and the consequent decreasing 
need for a library in the Sunday school; (2) the failure 
of the Sunday-school library to keep pace with changing 
standards and add new and fresh books to the catalogue; 
(3) the unpopular method of distributing books. Rightly 
appreciated and used, however, the Sunday-school library 
still has large possibilities. It need not necessarily be 
large, but could well include some of the best books 
on history, nature stories, biography, fiction, teacher- 
training, and a wide range of other subjects. The books 
should be carefully selected for their moral tone, literary 
quality, and general attractiveness as to binding and 
illustrations. The library should not be overlooked in 
considering the annual budget of a Sunday school. Many 
books may be obtained for such use from the public 
libraries, but in addition to this the appropriation of 
a small fund, well managed and augmented by private 
donations, will make possible an up-to-date and service- 
able library for reference and recreation in any school. 

Questions 
What are the reasons for the decline of the Sunday- 
school library? How may it still be made serviceable? 
What tests should be applied to the books to be included 
in such a library? What particular types of books 
should be selected? How may the Sunday-school librarian 
make use of the public library? 

Chapter XX. Professional Preparation and 
Advancement of Teachers 

Summary 

The adequate training of Sunday-school teachers in- 
volves three factors: (1) Knowledge of subject-matter; 
(2) Knowledge of pedagogical principles and methods; 
and (3) Actual practice in teaching. 

The problem of teacher- training has two aspects; 



Appendix A 259 

that of the professional preparation of prospective 
teachers, and that of the improvement of teachers in 
service. Prospective teachers will be cared for in the 
Teacher-Training or Normal Department of the school 
and in special week-day classes. The means available for 
the improvement of teachers in service are teachers' 
meetings, reading and study circles, and various aids to 
self -improvement. 

Questions 
What percentage of the present teaching force in 
American Sunday schools have completed any sort of 
teacher-training course? What are the International 
requirements in teacher-training according to the 
standards adopted by the Philadelphia Conference? 
What is the greatest present need in this field? What 
should be the program for a teachers' meeting? What 
should be the pastor's relation to teacher- training? 

Chapter XXI. Standard Courses in Teacher- 
Training 

Summary 

Constantly advancing standards in all departments 
of Sunday-school work have made imperative an ad- 
vance in the so-called standard courses in teacher-training. 

Prerequisite qualifications in the teacher of religion 
are: (1) A personal religious experience, which, though 
individuahstic and not of stereotyped form, must never- 
theless reveal a genuine religious faith and keen spiritual 
insight; (2) A knowledge of and interest in child life, 
with an appreciation of the prime importance of child- 
hood as a time for religious training and of the gradually 
developing religious life of the individual; (3) A good 
education. Educational emphasis in the Sunday school 
is no innovation, but rather a return to the emphasis 
and methods of apostles and reformers of the past; (4) A 
knowledge of the Bible and of the organized activities of 
the Church. Requirements of the several Junior _ and 
Intermediate grades should be among the prerequisites 
to be mastered before the prospective teacher attempts 
the special preparation offered by the First Standard 
Course. 

The First Standard Course represents the minimum 
of formal training and study required for a prospective 
teacher in the School of Religious Instruction, and should 
more than double the present requirements, devoting 



260 The Graded Sunday School 

the equivalent of 120 lesson periods instead of 50. In 
the Advanced Standard Course it is presupposed that 
the student shall have completed the equivalent of the 
work of the First Standard Course, and in addition the 
work of the course itself should be made to equal approx- 
imately one year's residence work in college or normal 
school. In both courses recognition should be given 
for work done in Bible study and religious pedagogy 
in regular class instruction outside the Sunday school. 
In both courses also there should be required readings, 
including classic chapters (in works on religious psy- 
chology and pedagogy, and text-books on Bible intro- 
duction. 

Questions 

What are the prerequisite qualifications in the equip- 
ment of a teacher of religion? What does each embody? 
What should be the minimum requirements of the First 
Standard Course? What are the requirements of the 
Advanced Standard Course? What should be the major 
and what the minor subjects in the Advanced Course? 
How should the matter of credits be handled in each 
course? What type of supplementary, reading should be 
required with each? 

Chapter XXII. The School of To-Morrow 

Summary 

We may forecast the character of the Sunday school 
of to-morrow from the obvious trend among progressive 
''up-to-date" schools of to-day. 

Judged from this standpoint the school of to-morrow 
will be (1) a school in fact with a graded curriculum 
and trained teachers; (2) properly housed and equipped 
because valued at its full worth; (3) given right of way; 
(4) an efficient and progressive institution. 

It is possible for everyone to more thoroughly equip 
himself for the particular service he is called upon to 
render, and to keep to the front in his thinking and 
reading. 

Questions 

What are the working principles that should govern 
the construction of the Sunday-school building? How 
should a Sunday-school building be furnished and 
equipped? In what sense does the Sunday school offer 
to the pastor his greatest field of opportunity? What 
are the indications of a progressive spirit in Sunday- 
school work? 



APPENDIX B 

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Administration of Education in the United States (1908). 

S. T. Dutton and David Snedden. 
Adolescence. 2 vols. (1907). G. Stanley Hall. 
An Outline of a Bible School Curriculum (1904). George 

William Pease. 
Annual Reports of American Sunday School Union. 

Bound volumes. 
Beitrage zur 100 jahrigen Geschichte der Sonntagschulen. 

Robert Koenig, in Monatsschrift fur Innere Mission 

1883. 
Child and the Curriculum, The. John Dewey. 
Cyclopedia of Education. Monroe. 

Articles on: 

Religious Education. 
Catechisms. 
Sunday Schools. 
Development of the Sunday School (1 780-1905). Official 

Report, Eleventh International Sunday School Con- 
vention, Toronto, 1905. 
Education in Religion and Morals (1907). George Albert 

Coe. 
Educational Psychology. E. L. Thorndike. 
Educative Process, The. W. C. Bagley. 
Elements of General Method (1903). C. A. McMurry. 
Essentials of Method (1892). Charles DeGarmo. 
Evolution of the Sunday School, The (191 1). H. F. 

Cope. 
Fundamentals of Child Study (1907). E. A. Kirkpatrick. 
Genetic Psychology. E. A. Kirkpatrick. 
Geschichte der Sonntagschulen. Reinhard. 
Home School and Vacation (1907). Annie W. Allen. 
How to Conduct the Sunday School (1905). Marion 

Lawrance. 
How to Plan a Lesson (1904). Marianna C. Brown. 
How to Study — Teaching How to Study (1909). F. M. 

McMurry. 
How We Think. John Dewey. 
Important Epochs in the History of Sunday Schools. 

Rice. 
Individual in the Making, The (191 1). E. A. Kirk- 
patrick. 

261 



262 The Graded Sunday School 

International Lesson System, The. Sampey. 

Jewish Encyclopedia, The. Articles on Education, 

Schools, and Synagogue. 
Lesson System, The (1879). Simon Gilbert. 
Making of a Teacher, The (1905). Martin G. Brumbaugh. 
Meaning of Education, The (1904). Nicholas M. Butler. 
Modern Sunday School in Principle and Practice, The 

(1907). H. F. Cope. 
Moral Principles in Education (1909). John Dewey. 
Natural Way, The (1903). Patterson DuBois. 
(Economy of Charity (London, 1801). Trimmer. 
Old Testament in the Sunday School, The (19 12). Myers. 
Organized Sunday School Work in America (1905-1908). 

Official Report Twelfth International Sunday School 

Convention, Louisville, 1908. 
Pamphlets and Reports in the Historical Society of 

Pennsylvania Library, filed under the following index 

titles: First Day Schools; Sabbath Schools; Sunday 

Schools; White, William. 
Pedagogical Bible School, The 11905). Haslett. 
Philosophy of Education, The (1907). H. H. Home. 
Primer on Teaching, with Special Reference to Sunday 

School Work. John Adams. 
Principles and Ideals for the Sunday School (1903). 

E. D. Burton and Shailer Mathews. 
Principles of Religious Development (1909). George 

Galloway. 
Principles of Religious Education (1901). Nicholas Mur- 
ray Butler and others. A course of lectures delivered 

before the New York Sunday School Commission. 
Principles of Teaching (1907). E. L. Thorndike. 
Psychology (1908). J. R. Angell. _ 
Psychology. 2 vols. (1890). William James. 
Psychology, Briefer Course (1892). William James. 
Psychological Phenomena of Christianity (1908). G. B. 

Cutten. 
Psychological Principles of Education (1906). H. H. 

Home. 
Psychology of Religion, The (1908). E. D. Starbuck. 
Psychology of Religion, The. G. M. Stratton. 
Psychology of Religious Belief (1906). J. B. Pratt. 
Psychology of Religious Experience (1910). E. S. Ames. 
Religion of a Mature Mind, The (1902). George Albert Coe. 
Report of Teacher-Training Conference, January 7-8, 

1908. Pamphlet. 
Reports of the Triennial International Sunday School 

Conventions from 1869-1908, inclusive. 



Appendix B 263 

Robert Raikes. Harris. 

School Administration (1906). J. T. Prince. 

School of the Church, The. 

School Reports and School Efficiency. Allen and Snedden. 

School and Society, The (1907). John Dewey. 

Secrets of Sunday School Teaching (19 12). Edward 

Leigh Pell. 
Social Psychology (1908). E. A. Ross. 
Spiritual Life, The (1900). George Albert Coe. 
Study of the Child, The (1900). A. B. Taylor. 
Study of History in the Elementary Schools (1909). 

Report to the American Historical Association by 

the Committee of Eight. 
Sunday School Journal, The (1906). Bound volume. 
Sunday School Movements in America (1901). Marianna 

C. Brown. 
Sunday School Problems (1905). Amos R. Wells. 
Sunday School of To-day, The (191 1). W. W. Smith. 
Sunday Schools the World Around. Official Report 

World's Fifth Sunday School Convention, 1907. 
Talks to Teachers, William James. 
Types of Religious Experience. William James. 
Use of the Bible in Education of the Young (191 1). 

Raymont. 
Worker and His Work Series (8 small volumes). Board 

of Sunday Schools, Methodist Episcopal Church. 
Yale Lectures on the Sunday School (1888). H. Clay 

Trumbull. 
Youth. G. Stanley Hall. 
Youth and the Race. Swift. 



DEC 24 1912 



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